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WYOMING   CAPITOL— 1892 

Stimson  Photo 


April  J  9  5$ 


LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 
OF    WYOMING 

LARAMIE 


STATE   LIBRARY,    ARCHIVES   AND 
HISTORICAL  BOARD 

Fred  W.  Marble,  Chairman Cheyenne 

James  Bentley Sheridan 

Henry  Jones Hanna 

Mrs.  Lora  Jewett Pinedale 

Mrs.  Esther  Mockler Dubois 

Mrs.  Leora  Peters Wheatland 

Mrs.  Margaret  E.  Hall Moorcroft 

Mrs.  Lorraine  Stadius Thermopolis 

Attorney-General  Thomas  O.  Miller,  Ex-officio. 


WYOMING  STATE  ARCHIVES  AND  HISTORICAL 
DEPARTMENT 

STAFF 

Lola  M.  Homsher Director 

Henryetta  Berry Assistant  Director 

Reta  W.  Ridings Director  Historical  Division 

Lewis  K.  Demand Assistant  Archivist 

Mrs.  Lillian  V.  Stratton Secretary 

Loretta  Taylor.... .-.-.....Clerk  Typist 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  Annals  of  Wyoming  is  published  semi-annually  in  April  and 
October  and  is  received  by  all  members  of  the  Wyoming  State  Historical 
Society.  Copies  of  current  issues  may  be  purchased  for  $1.00  each. 
Available  copies  of  earlier  issues  are  also  for  sale.  A  price  list  may  be 
obtained  by  writing  to  the  Editor. 

Communications  should  be  addressed  to  the  Editor.  The  Editor  does 
not  assume  responsibility  for  statements  of  fact  or  of  opinion  made  by 
contributors. 

Copyright,  1958,  by  the  Wyoming  State  Archives  and 
Historical  Department. 


A^mls  of  Wyoming 


Volume  30 


April  1958 


Number  1 


Lola  M.  Homsher 
Editor 


Qf  THF        Reta  W.  Ridings 

JMVERSITY  OF  WYOMIf<&"^*"" 
_    -~^  URAMII 


Published  Biannually  by  the 

WYOMING  STATE  ARCHIVES  AND  HISTORICAL 
DEPARTMENT 


Official  Publication 

of  the 

WYOMING   STATE  HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


WYOMING   STATE   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

OFFICERS    1957-58 

President,  Dr.  T.  A.  Larson Laramie 

First  Vice  President,  A.  H.  MacDougall Rawlins 

Second  Vice  President,  Mrs.  Thelma  Condit Buffalo 

Secretary-Treasurer,  Miss  Maurine  Carley.... Cixeyenne 

Executive  Secretary,  Miss  Lola  M.  Homsher Cheyenne 

Past  Presidents: 

Frank  L.  Bowron,  Casper 1953-1955 

William  L.  Marion,  Lander 1955-1956 

Dr.  DeVVitt  Dominick,  Cody 1956-1957 


The  Wyoming  State  Historical  Society  was  organized  in  October  1953. 
Membership  is  open  to  anyone  interested  in  history.  County  Historical 
Society  Chapters  have  been  organized  in  Albany,  Campbell,  Carbon,  Fre- 
mont, Goshen,  Johnson,  Laramie,  Natrona,  Park,  Sweetwater,  Washakie 
and  Uinta  counties. 


Dues: 

Life   Membership $50.00 

Joint  Life  Membership  (Husband  and  wife) 75.00 

Annual    Membership 3.50 

Joint  Annual  Membership  (Two  persons  of  same  family  at 

same  address.) 5.00 


Send  membership  dues  to: 

Wyoming  State  Historical  Society 
Executive  Headquarters 
State  Office  Building 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


Zabk  of  Contents 

LAKE  SOLITUDE,  A  GLACIER  SAPPHIRE  5 

Mae  Urbanek 

THE  COWBOY  REPRESENTATIVE  OR  REP  13 

Ed  Wright 

THE  HOLE-IN-THE-WALL,  Part  V,  Section  2  17 

Thelma  Gatchell  Condit 

OREGON  TRAIL  TREK  NO.  SIX  37 

Compiled  by  Maurine  Carley 

WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  (Conclusion)  53 

Dale  L.  Morgan,  Editor 

WYOMING  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  NOTES  90 

Archaeological  Research  for  1958 
Relocation  of  Pioneer  Burials  by  L.  C.  Steege 
The  Little  Bald  Mountain  Site  by  R.  C.  Bentzen 
Stone  Artifacts  by  L.  C.  Steege 

WYOMING  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  102 

President's  Message  by  T.  A.  Larson 
Fourth  Annual  Meeting 

POEMS  ....- 11,  12,  16 

John  Colter  by  Mae  Urbanek 
Branded  Peace  by  Dick  J.  Nelson 
Wyoming  by  Dick  J.  Nelson 

BOOK  REVIEWS 

Adams,  The  Best  of  the  American  Cowboy  112 

Howard,  This  is  the  West 113 

Hamilton,  From  Wilderness  to  Statehood 114 

Chatterton,  Yesterdays'  Wyoming  115 

Fundaburk  and  Foreman,  Sun  Circles  and  Human  Hands  117 

Holbrook,  The  Rocky  Mountain  Revolution  118 

Laubin,  The  Indian  Tipi,  Its  History  119 

CONTRIBUTORS    120 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Lake   Solitude   4 

Ed  Wright  12 

The  Hole-in-the-Wall  18,  20 

Oregon  Trail  Trek  No.  6  36 

Ft.  Bridger,  1858  54 

Archaeological  Notes  94,  95,  98 

John  Colter  Historical  Marker  110 

Maps :     Hole-in-the-Wall  24 

Oregon  Trail  Trek  No.  6 38 


"I 


Cake  Solitude,  a  Qlacier  Sapphire 


By 
Mae  Urbanek 


This  mile-long  lake  in  its  rugged  Alpine  setting  lies  in  the 
approximate  center  of  the  Big  Horn  National  Forest  and  is  the 
high  goal  of  all  who  pack  into  the  Cloud  Peak  Wilderness  Area 
of  north-central  Wyoming.  Located  twenty  miles  from  the  nearest 
paved  highways  and  roofed  dwellings,  it  can  be  reached  only  by 
mountain  trails  and  steep  switchbacks  over  which  no  wheel  has 
ever  traveled. 

The  Big  Horn  National  Forest  was  created  as  a  recreation  pre- 
serve by  President  Cleveland  on  February  22,  1897,  seven  years 
after  Wyoming  became  a  state.  It  is  drained  by  the  Big  Horn, 
Tongue,  and  Powder  Rivers  which  all  flow  into  the  Yellowstone 
River,  a  tributary  of  the  Missouri.  At  the  time  of  the  Lewis  and 
Clark  expedition  in  1805-6,  large  numbers  of  Big  Horn  sheep 
grazed  in  these  mountains,  which  were  called  Big  Horns  by  the 
Crow,  Sioux,  and  Cheyenne  Indian  tribes  who  hunted  and  fished 
this  territory.  Lewis  and  Clark  accepted  the  Indian  name  and 
gave  its  translation  "Big  HoYn"  to  the  river  and  the  mountains  it 
drained. 

The  Cloud  Peak  Primitive  Area  of  92,000  acres  is  located  in 
the  most  inaccessible  and  scenic  part  of  the  Big  Horn  National 
Forest  and  was  given  this  designation  by  the  Chief  of  Forest  Ser- 
vice on  March  5,  1932.  During  the  ice  age  this  part  was  deeply 
eroded  and  scarred  by  glaciers,  some  of  which  still  exist  in  the 
vicinity  of  Cloud  Peak,  elevation  13,165  feet,  and  Black  Tooth 
Mountain,  elevation  13,014  feet,  highest  peaks  in  the  Big  Horn 
Mountains.  Cloud  Peak  is  only  600  feet  lower  than  the  highest 
mountains  in  Wyoming,  and  lacks  1,615  feet  of  reaching  the 
altitude  of  the  Matterhorn  in  the  Swiss  Alps.  Paintrock  Creek 
rises  in  the  vicinity  of  Cloud  Peak  and  flows  westward  into  Lake 
Solitude,  and  from  there  southwest  into  the  Big  Horn  River. 
Water  from  the  melting  snows  and  glaciers  of  Cloud  Peak  also 
flow  northeast  and  east  into  the  Tongue  and  Powder  Rivers. 

No  roads,  summer  homes,  resorts,  stores,  or  cabin  camps  are 
allowed  in  the  Cloud  Peak  Wilderness  area.  With  the  exception 
of  trails  and  garbage  disposal  pits  maintained  by  the  Forest  Service, 
it  is  preserved  as  a  natural  wonderland  much  as  it  was  when 
Columbus  discovered  this  continent.  Here  lovers  of  nature  can 
enjoy  the  scenic  grandeur  of  lakes,  waterfalls,  rocks,  and  moun- 
tains untouched  by  civilization.    They  can  ride  and  wander,  hunt 


6  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Indian  artifacts,  fish  where  the  strike  rings  of  trout  dapple  the 
waters,  rest  and  relax  as  their  pioneer  ancestors  did,  without  the 
intrusion  of  the  sometimes  discordant  features  of  modern  civil- 
ization. Because  of  heavy  snow,  the  trails  are  open  from  about 
June  15  to  September  15,  when  the  maximum  temperature  aver- 
ages 60  degrees  and  the  minimum  39  degrees. 

The  Solitude  Circle  Trail  is  sixty-two  miles  in  length;  fifty-four 
miles  of  this  maintained  horse  trail  is  in  the  primitive  area.  Twelve 
main  feeder  trails  lead  into  it,  making  it  accessible  from  either  side 
of  the  Big  Horn  Mountains.  Motorists  may  pack  in  west  from 
Buffalo,  north  from  Tensleep  Canyon  on  U.  S.  16,  northeast  from 
Hyattville,  or  southeast  from  Sheridan.  The  nearest  point  of 
accessibility  by  automobile  is  at  the  Hunter  Ranger  Station  west 
of  Buffalo,  where  it  is  only  seven  miles  to  the  primitive  area 
boundary,  and  twenty-two  miles  to  Lake  Solitude  through  Flor- 
ence Pass;  or  from  the  Tyrrell  Ranger  Station  on  Tensleep  Creek 
it  is  eight  miles  to  the  primitive  area,  but  only  eighteen  miles  to 
Lake  Solitude.  Mr.  W.  E.  Augsbach  of  Sheridan  is  Supervisor 
of  the  Big  Horn  National  Forest. 

In  the  Wilderness  Area  there  are  one  hundred  and  four  miles  of 
maintained  trails.  These  give  access  to  sixty-seven  lakes  and 
sixty  miles  of  fishing  streams  that  are  well  stocked  with  Brook, 
Native,  and  Rainbow  trout.  Cloud  Peak  was  named  by  early 
settlers  for  the  clouds  that  usually  cluster  above  it.  Florence  Pass 
was  named  by  an  unknown  early  settler  for  his  daughter.  Accord- 
ing to  J.  Laird  Warner  who  was  a  Ranger  in  the  Big  Horn  Moun- 
tains from  1910  to  1914,  and  whose  father,  Mark  Warner,  was  a 
Ranger  in  the  1890's,  Mather  Peak  was  named  for  the  father  of 
Kirtly  Mather,  curator  of  Harvard  Geological  Museum.  The  elder 
Mr.  Mather  was  a  member  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey. 

Mr.  Warner  was  acquainted  with  Uncle  John  Luman  who  lived 
on  Paint  Rock  Creek  above  Hyattville.  Uncle  John,  one  of  the 
very  early  settlers  in  the  region,  was  a  squaw  man.  Although 
he  had  a  nice  ranch  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  he  usually 
camped  with  his  dogs  up  in  the  hills.  He  would  mix  "dough-gods" 
in  the  top  of  his  flour  sack,  put  them  on  the  coals  of  his  open  fire 
to  bake,  and  then  fight  it  out  with  his  hounds  to  see  whether  he 
or  the  dogs  got  filled  up  first. 

"The  Crow  Indians,  even  after  my  folks  came  to  the  Tensleep 
Valley  in  1893,  came  from  Pryor  Gap,  Montana,  through  the  Big 
Horn  Basin  to  Ten  Sleep,"  Mr.  Warner  writes.  "This  was  'ten 
sleeps'.  They  crossed  the  Big  Horns  near  the  head  of  the  North 
Fork  Powder  River  and  went  on  to  Pumpkin  Buttes,  another  'ten 
sleeps'.  The  Pumpkin  Butte  territory  was  their  favorite  hunting 
ground." 

Paintrock  Creeks  were  so  named  because  Indians  used  clays 
of  bright  variegated  colors  found  in  their  banks  for  ceremonial 
and  war  paint.     Warm  Springs  Creek  was  also  named  by  the 


LAKE  SOLITUDE,  A  GLACIER   SAPPHIRE  7 

Indians  because  of  the  medical  relief  they  found  in  the  waters  of 
the  springs.  Dry  Medicine  Lodge  Creek  was  so  named  because 
the  creek  bed  is  dry,  but  one  can  hear  the  water  running  beneath 
the  ground  when  standing  in  the  dry  creek  bed.  Hidden  Tepee 
Creek  is  named  for  the  many  tepee  poles  that  were  still  standing 
deep  in  the  canyon  when  the  white  men  came  to  the  country. 
Dr.  R.  C.  Bentzen,  a  Sheridan  dentist,  furnished  this  information. 

Lake  Solitude  was  named  by  Francois  E.  Mattes  in  1899.  In 
the  magazine  "The  Living  Wilderness"  he  writes:  "The  Cloud 
Peak  region  was  the  first  high  mountain  district  I  was  called  upon 
to  map  for  the  Geological  Survey.  .  .  .  When  I  beheld  that  lovely 
tranquil  lake  on  Paintrock  Creek,  I  broke  my  vow  to  abstain  from 
naming  any  features  of  the  country,  and  I  named  it  Lake  Solitude. 
...  It  thrilled  me  because  it  renders  so  vividly  the  awesome 
grandeur  and  utter  wildness  of  that  boldly  sculptured  mountain 
country.  Lake  Solitude  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  mountain 
lakes  in  existence.  ...  It  is  to  me  a  profound  satisfaction  to  learn 
that  after  forty-eight  years  it  still  lies  tucked  away  in  its  deep 
wilderness."    Mr.  Matthes  wrote  this  in  1948. 

I  first  learned  about  Lake  Solitude  in  the  thirties  when  I  was  a 
member  of  the  State  Land  Use  Planning  Committee.  At  that  time 
and  until  the  late  forties  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  tried  to  secure 
authority  to  have  roads  built  to  Lake  Solitude  and  a  large  dam 
constructed  there  for  irrigation  purposes  in  the  Hyattville  and 
Manderson  areas.  Such  action  was  opposed  by  the  Forest  Service 
of  the  U.S.  Department  of  Agriculture  and  many  leading  citizens 
who  claimed  that  roads  and  a  dam  would  destroy  the  unique 
primitive  charm  of  the  lakes  and  mountains;  that  few  such  primi- 
tive areas  existed  and  should  be  preserved  for  present  and  future 
generations. 

Dr.  Will  Schunk  of  Sheridan,  who  with  his  wife,  Edna  Schunk, 
has  made  over  thirty  pack  trips  to  Lake  Solitude,  roused  the  Izaak 
Walton  League,  The  Wilderness  Society,  and  many  individuals  in 
the  fight  against  the  demands  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation.  He 
wrote,  "We  want  the  Cloud  Peak  Wilderness  Area,  of  which 
Solitude  is  a  gem,  preserved  in  natural  and  primitive  splendor 
for  everyone  to  enjoy,  unspoiled  by  semi-civilized  conditions." 
Anyone  who  views  the  once  uniquely  beautiful  Morning  Glory 
Pool  in  the  Yellowstone  National  Park  now  littered  and  clogged 
with  tourist-tossed  papers,  bottle  caps,  and  broken  glass  will  agree 
that  a  few  areas  should  have  their  primitive  beauty  protected  from 
the  motoring  public. 

In  the  fall  of  1956  my  husband  Jerry  and  I  made  our  first 
attempt  to  reach  Lake  Solitude  from  the  Buffalo  approach.  It 
was  October  and  too  late  to  hire  horses,  so  we  drove  our  automo- 
bile as  far  as  possible  beyond  Hunter  Ranger  Station  and  attempted 
to  hike  in,  equipped  only  with  a  compass,  a  heavy  skillet,  fishing 
equipment,  and  cans  of  beans  and  salmon.    At  that  time  we  were 


8  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

not  acquainted  with  'mountain  miles'  and  believed  we  could 
easily  make  Seven  Brothers  Lakes.  A  Forest  Service  sign  in- 
formed us  that  it  was  six  miles.  From  there  we  might  go  on 
through  Florence  Pass  and  reach  Lake  Solitude,  a  mere  twenty 
miles  from  our  camp. 

The  trail  led  past  fallen  trees  scattered  five  deep  in  places. 
Nita,  our  toy  terrier,  ran  ahead  and  back  and  forth.  The  cleared 
path  had  many  switchbacks  and  led  ever  upward.  At  two  o'clock 
we  reached  the  first  of  the  Seven  Brothers  Lakes.  A  cold  wind 
was  blowing  in  a  heavy  fog.  We  were  almost  at  timber  line.  The 
wind-twisted  Alpine  fir  and  Engelmann  spruce  bent  low  over  the 
boulder-strewn  waters.  I  caught  none  of  the  large  Mackinaw  trout 
that  lived  here;  not  even  a  small  Brook  trout  would  rise  in  the 
rough,  cold  water.  We  ate  the  salmon  and  beans  cold  and  started 
back  down  the  long,  steep  trail.  At  dark  we  reached  our  car, 
exhausted  and  much  wiser  as  to  what  it  takes  to  conquer 
mountains. 

Last  fall  we  came  again,  this  time  better  equipped.  At  Deer 
Haven  Lodge  on  U.S.  16  we  rented  horses  even  though  there  was 
some  snow  on  the  trails.  Since  they  were  well  marked  and  we 
are  Wyoming  ranchers  who  know  both  horses  and  Wyoming  moun- 
tains, we  did  not  take  a  guide.  It  would  be  safer  and  more  com- 
fortable, however,  if  someone  acquainted  with  the  area  went  along 
as  a  guide  and  companion.  A  guide  is  necessary  for  those  not 
accustomed  to  horses  and  primitive  conditions.  No  one  should 
enter  a  primitive  wilderness  area  without  letting  someone  know 
their  probable  destination  and  time  of  return. 

A  detailed  map  of  the  area  may  be  secured  from  a  Forest 
Ranger.  A  compass  and  first  aid  kit  are  necessary  equipment.  If 
lost  in  any  forest  area,  the  first  rule  is  not  to  panic.  In  case  of 
night,  fog,  or  storm,  make  camp  in  a  sheltered  place,  building  a 
fire  in  a  safe  place,  and  gathering  dry  fuel.  In  daylight  travel 
only  down  hill,  following  a  stream  out  if  possible.  If  injured 
build  a  smoke  signal  on  a  high  point.  The  SOS  call  of  the 
wilderness  is  three  signals  of  any  kind,  either  audible  or  visible. 
The  answer  to  a  distress  signal  is  two  signals.  Do  not  run  or 
worry,  and  above  all  conserve  strength,  and  do  not  quit.  These 
are  rules  all  forest  travelers  should  know  and  follow. 

The  horses  we  rented  at  Deer  Haven  Lodge  were  Cricket,  a 
black  saddle  horse,  and  Thunder,  a  large  sorrel  pack  horse. 
Thunder  carried  our  tent,  sleeping  bags,  extra  bedding,  fishing 
equipment,  and  an  ax.  Cooking  and  eating  utensils  and  groceries 
were  in  panniers  hooked  to  his  pack  saddle.  The  tent  and  bedding 
were  fastened  over  the  panniers  and  secured  with  a  diamond  hitch. 
This  diamond  is  made  with  a  rope  that  goes  over  and  around  the 
four  corners  of  the  pack,  under  each  pannier  and  across  the  top, 
making  a  diamond  pattern  on  each  side  of  the  horse.    No  bump 


LAKE  SOLITUDE,   A   GLACIER   SAPPHIRE  9 

against  a  tree  will  dislodge  the  horse's  burden.    In  Cricket's  saddle 
bags  were  cameras  and  our  lunch. 

Nita  traveled  happily  ahead.  I  rode  Cricket,  and  Jerry  walked, 
leading  Thunder.  After  several  miles  on  a  graded  road  which  led 
past  the  Tyrrell  Ranger  Station,  we  took  the  trail  east  of  West 
Tensleep  Lake.  Then  the  climb  started.  The  narrow  path  that 
cut  through  the  pine  forest  and  over  boulders  was  well  kept  by 
the  Forest  Service.  Small  bridges  crossed  rivulets  flowing  into 
Tensleep  Creek,  and  rocks  were  placed  to  prevent  deep  erosion. 
In  one  spot  a  large  pine  had  recently  fallen  over  the  path,  and  we 
detoured  up  and  down  a  rocky  knoll,  the  horses  almost  sliding 
on  their  tails.  But  they  were  wise  and  sure-footed  as  mountain 
goats. 

We  had  grown  weary  on  the  steep  uphill  trail  when  we  reached 
a  Forest  Service  sign  informing  us  that  we  were  entering  the  Prim- 
itive Wilderness  Area.  A  glance  at  our  map  showed  us  what  a 
relatively  short  distance  we  had  traveled,  and  when  we  reached 
Lake  Helen  a  long  mile  farther  on,  we  decided  to  camp  for  the 
night.  The  hillsides  were  timbered  and  the  open  ground  so  filled 
with  large  boulders  that  we  could  find  no  clear  space  for  picketing 
the  horses.  But  a  stream  of  mountain  water  trickled  from  steep 
rocks  and  Lake  Helen  was  filled  with  the  strike  rings  of  trout. 
While  Jerry  struggled  to  stake  the  tent  in  the  rocky  soil,  I  discov- 
ered that  trout  were  more  plentiful  than  daylight.  We  hastened 
to  tuck  the  covers  around  us  before  deep  darkness  came.  We 
wakened  at  dawn  to  soft  vibrant  tones  echoing  through  the  pine 
trees.  This  musical  call  puzzled  us,  until  hastily  dressed  and  out 
by  the  lake  shore,  we  saw  a  herd  of  elk  on  the  opposite  bank, 
bugling  to  the  dawn. 

Thunder  had  a  lighter  load  the  second  day  as  we  left  the  tent 
and  bedding  at  Lake  Helen,  knowing  we  would  have  to  come  back 
if  we  stayed  on  our  three-day  schedule.  Cloud  Peak,  softly 
rounded  in  the  misty  air,  loomed  ahead  of  us  up  the  trail  to  Lake 
Marion,  and  on  to  deep  Misty  Moon  Lake.  Bomber  Mountain, 
scarred  and  rocky,  was  to  the  east  of  the  trail.  Here  a  B  17  flying 
fortress  had  crashed  on  June  28,  1943,  but  we  could  see  no 
glimpse  of  its  metal  carcass. 

I  would  have  liked  to  hunt  for  Indian  artifacts  at  Misty  Moon 
Lake  and  loiter  among  the  evergreen  trees,  twisted  and  wind- 
tortured  into  grotesque  shapes  this  close  to  timber  line,  but  our 
goal  was  Lake  Solitude.  We  struggled  on  and  crossed  the  high 
core-rock  ridge  that  divides  the  drainage  areas  of  West  Tensleep 
Creek  and  Paintrock  Creek.  The  air  was  thin  and  bright.  We 
seemed  almost  as  high  as  majestic  Cloud  Peak  which  was  over  a 
mile  to  the  northeast.  Last  year  we  had  been  on  the  east  side  of 
Florence  Pass.  Now  we  looked  at  its  desolate  wildness  from  the 
west.    We  wished  for  another  day  in  which  to  climb  Cloud  Peak, 


10  ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 

birthplace  of  thunder  storms,  and  explore  its  snow  fields  and 
glaciers. 

We  began  our  slow  descent  westward  to  timber  line.  Around 
a  small  lake  below  us  we  sighted  a  herd  of  about  twenty-five  elk, 
sporting  and  playing  in  the  water.  A  large  bull  would  dive  in 
until  all  we  seemed  to  see  was  his  rack  of  horns.  Then  he  would 
plunge  out  and  shake  off,  graceful  as  a  kitten  with  his  huge,  sleek 
body.  As  we  trailed  past,  the  elk  ignored  us.  Finally  they  took 
off,  single  file,  up  a  rocky  canyon.  They  were  proud  and  stately, 
stepping  lightly  over  the  boulders  with  their  heads  held  high  and 
their  noses  pointing  forward. 

Trails  on  the  south  side  of  the  canyon  we  were  following  were 
filled  with  snow,  and  we  followed  a  deer  path  up  a  steep  rise  until 
we  discovered  we  were  lost.  Leading  the  nimble  horses,  we  slid 
back  down  the  slippery  mountain  and  found  the  right  trail  which 
crossed  Paintrock  Creek.  Nita,  our  little  dog,  was  tired  by  now, 
and  slipped  off  a  rock  into  the  racing  Paintrock  water.  She  swam 
out  and  after  this  insisted  on  riding  with  whoever  was  in  Cricket's 
saddle.  Our  trail  now  led  down  the  rocky  north  wall  of  the 
canyon  and  was  clear  of  snow.  Coming  over  a  sharp  rise  on  this 
trail  we  first  saw  Lake  Solitude,  peaceful  in  its  setting  of  rugged 
and  turbulent  beauty. 

As  we  stood  there,  we  seemed  to  share  with  Verdi  the  trium- 
phant music  of  his  Grand  March  from  "Aida".  We  had  dreamed, 
we  had  struggled,  and  we  had  arrived  within  sight  of  our  goal. 
Solitude,  called  by  some  the  most  beautiful  lake  in  America,  was 
truly  that  to  us.  Eagerly  we  traveled  on,  past  the  pounding  roar 
of  Paintrock  Falls  to  the  quiet  of  the  wide,  level  meadow  east  of 
the  Lake.  Unsaddled  and  picketed  out,  the  horses  were  as  happy 
as  we.    They  rolled  and  rested  before  eating  the  tender  grass. 

Timbers  of  a  Forest  Service  garbage  pit  were  sagging  and 
broken,  but  on  the  edge  of  the  quiet  Lake  was  an  ample  grate 
and  seats  on  fallen  logs.  Hidden  in  a  clump  of  trees  was  a  toilet, 
with  an  incomparable  vista  from  its  doorway — a  high  cliff  of 
crumbling,  disintegrated  boulders  reflected  in  the  peaceful  blue 
mirror  of  Lake  Solitude.  We  did  not  have  time  to  cross  the  twin 
streams  of  Paintrock  Creek  entering  the  southeast  portion  of  the 
Lake  or  to  follow  the  rocky  path  around  its  southern  rim.  Brook 
trout  grabbed  at  the  hook  as  fast  as  I  could  toss  it  into  the  quiet 
waters.  We  ate  our  fill  of  the  rich  meat  and  wished  for  the  acid  of 
fruit  juice.  Like  Cricket  and  Thunder,  we  were  content  to  rest 
and  dream  during  the  two  brief  hours  we  allowed  ourselves  before 
starting  on  the  long,  steep  trail  back  to  our  tent  at  Lake  Helen, 
and  next  day  to  our  automobile  and  civilization. 

The  unspoiled  loveliness  of  Lake  Solitude  is  uniquely  charming 
because  it  can  only  be  reached  by  physical  effort  and  exertion. 
The  few  who  come  each  year  to  test  the  coldness  of  its  icy  waters 
respect  its  beauty.    No  broken  bottles  or  rusty  cans  mar  its  shore 


LAKE  SOLITUDE,   A   GLACIER   SAPPHIRE  11 

line.  In  the  fall  golden  splashes  of  aspen  accent  the  dark  ever- 
greens growing  on  the  sides  of  the  rocky  pocket  that  holds  the  lake. 
Set  in  these  rugged,  boulder-strewn  mountains,  and  filled  with  the 
rushing,  restless  waters  of  Paintrock  Creek,  Lake  Solitude  itself  is 
so  quiet  and  peaceful  that  it  makes  its  visitors  feel  that  finally  they 
are  within  a  pebble-toss  of  Heaven. 


Mn  Colter 

By 

Mae  Urbanek 

One  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago, 

In  winter  time,  when  the  wind-whipped  snow 

Settled  deep,  and  Indian  bands 

Wandered  over  prairie  lands, 

A  dauntless  man  in  a  fur-lined  cap 

Treked  southward  to  plot  Wyoming's  first  map. 

He  followed  the  Stinking  River  course. 
Up  Owl  Creek  Hills,  and  to  the  source 
Of  the  swift  Wind  River;  over  the  pass, 
First  to  see  the  saber-toothed  mass 
Of  Teton  Mountains;  watch  geysers  steam, 
Mud  pots  boil;  and  the  Yellowstone  stream 
Tumble  and  fall.    He  waited  the  play 
Of  one  geyser,  faithful  by  night  and  day. 

John  lingered  long  in  this  wonderland 
Till  the  frostbite  left  his  stiffened  hand. 
Alone,  but  not  lonely,  he  braved  the  sleet 
Of  another  pass,  and  hoped  to  meet 
Indian  trappers;  persuade  them  to  trade 
With  Lisa.    A  thousand  miles  he  made; 
Spring  came,  and  back  to  the  fort  he  turned- 
Five  dollars  a  month  is  what  he  earned. 

When  he  told  of  nude  mountains,  and  valleys  of  steam 

Everyone  laughed  at  his  dazzled  dream, 

And  scoffingly  called  it  "Colter's  Hell". 

He  was  first  to  see,  and  first  to  tell 

Of  natural  wonders  soon  to  be 

Wyoming,  land  of  pageantry. 


12 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Ed  Wright 


branded  Peace 

By 

Dick  J.  Nelson 

The  free  range  loneliness  some  said  we  had 

To  us  was  just  God's  own  alluring  peace. 

With  so  much  of  His  marvelous  handicraft  about 

Our  thoughts  of  Him  could  never  cease. 

We  had  no  close  neighbors  and  saw  little  of  town  or  city  life, 

Or  knew  how  God  kept  His  Talley  there, 

But  we  did  know,  that  on  the  ranch  and  on  the  range, 

We  found  His  Brand  on  Everything,  Everywhere. 


Zke  Cowboy  KepresentatWe  or  Kep 

By 

Old  Cowboy  Ed  Wright* 

I'ed  like  to  try  an  explain  to  ya  what  a  real  cowboy  was  sup- 
posed to  do  in  the  early  days.  Ya  know,  I  d,on't  think  a  real 
cowboy's  ever  been  described  or  explained  to  the  general  public, 
especially  to  the  younger  generation.  I  never  talked  with  anyone, 
outside  of  a  few  I  know,  or  visited  or  grew  up  with,  who  really 
knowed  what  a  cowboy's  job  was.  There  ain't  many  real  old-time 
cowboys  left.  I  wonder  how  many  knows  how  many  horses  it 
took  to  mount  a  cowboy  on  the  roundup.  Well,  eight  or  ten  at 
least.  Or  how  many  knows  what  his  night  horse  was,  or  what 
standin'  guard  was,  what  the  main  heard,  or  cut  was. 

I  guess  everyone  thinks  they  know  what  a  roundup  cook  was. 
He's  the  feller  movin'  pictures  have  been  tryin'  to  make  a  clown 
out  of  for  years,  but  he  wasn't  a  clown.  Very  likely,  he  was  a 
cowboy  that'd  been  crippled,  or  too  old  to  ride  hard  anymore. 
All  cowboys  could  cook.  They  had  to  eat  their  own  cookin'  too. 
A  roundup  cook  had  to  drive  the  cook  wagon,  a  four  or  six  horse 
team.  The  horses  he  drove,  it  took  five  or  six  cowboys  to  get  'em 
hooked  to  the  cook  wagon  sometimes.  Most  of  'em  was  spoilt 
saddle  horses.  He  had  to  be  a  good  reinsman,  or  they  had  to 
send  someone  with  him  that  could  drive  'em.  They  didn't  want 
to  do  that,  'cause  they  needed  all  the  hands  they  had.  It  seems 
like  a  roundup  was  always  short  a  good  hands.     A  roundup 


*  In  offering  this  chapter  from  his  book  The  Representative  Old  Cowboy 
Ed  Wright  for  publication  in  the  Annals  of  Wyoming,  author  Ed  Wright 
comments:  "In  the  early  1900's  Wyoming  was  the  greatest  cattle  country 
in  the  world.  The  cowboy  had  whiped  the  hired  gun  men  and  bonty  hunt- 
ers. The  law  had  come  to  stay,  Tom  Horn  had  been  found  guilty  and  hung. 
A  cowboy  still  raised  plenty  of  good  clean  hell  in  town,  quenching  his 
thirst,  and  other  ideas  he  men  was  bothered  with,  fightin,  gamblin,  dance 
halls,  and  once  in  a  while  a  shootin.  There  is  no  question,  a  cowboy  was 
tough  as  hell,  but  he  seemed  to  have  something  most  gentlemen  don't  seem 
to  be  able  to  find  in  themselves. 

"What  wonderful  dreams  I  have  been  thinkin  back  to,  those  wonderful 
care  free  days  and  times  I  spent  on  the  roundups.  I  wish  our  kids  could 
see  a  western  picture  about  real  cowboys  without  no  killings.  I  know  plenty 
of  them,  but  seems  like  they  have  educated  the  public  so  well  to  the  killin 
they  don't  want  and  won't  consider  a  story  without  killin's,  western  Mar- 
shalls,  wild  women,  and  gun  men.  I  would  like  to  see  good  clean  stories 
with  humor  and  explaining  what  a  real  cowboys  life  was  like." 

Ed  Wright  privately  published  five  hundred  copies  of  his  book  in  1954 
for  charity,  not  for  a  general  sale.  Two  hundred  copies  were  given  to  St. 
Joseph's  Orphange  of  Torrington,  Wyoming. 


14  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

couldn't  move  without  horses,  any  more  than  they  could  a  built 
the  Union  Pacific  Railway  in  those  days  without  horses.  They 
didn't  have  tractors  or  automobiles  in  those  days.  The  horses 
pulled  two-horse  scrapers,  and  four-horse  fresnos,  month  after 
month,  but  the  old  horse  got  the  job  done. 

As  I  said,  a  roundup  couldn't  move  without  horses,  so  naturally, 
they  had  a  horse  rangier  that  herded  them  all  day,  and  when  the 
wagon  moved,  he  foUered  with  the  cavey.  The  cavey,  that's  what 
the  herd  a  horses  was  called,  when  all  the  cowboys  and  reps 
throwed  their  strings  together.  It  night,  the  nighthawk  took  'em 
right  after  the  cowboys  caught  their  night  horses.  A  cowboy  was 
never  afoot  only  long  enough  to  catch  his  mount  out  of  the  rope 
corral.  His  night  horses  was  used  to  stand  guard  on  the  main  herd 
with.  The  main  herd  was  made  up  of  all  the  cattle  the  representa- 
tives had  caught  in  the  circles  they'd  made  to  date.  The  circle 
was  made  every  mornin',  roundin'  up  all  the  stock  in  whatever 
territory  you  was  in.  What  they  cut  out  of  the  circles  was 
throwed  in  the  main  herd,  an  guarded  day  an  night,  an  moved 
with  the  wagon.  The  herd  was  worked  on  certain  dates,  at 
certain  places. 

The  reps  was  always  met  by  the  cowboys  from  their  own  outfit 
that  had  come  to  throw  all  the  stock  back  to  it's  home  range,  the 
rep  had  picked  up  by  then.  They  always  met  the  rep  at  the 
closest  point  to  their  home  range,  where  the  herd  was  being 
worked.  All  roundups  was  always  made  up  of  plenty  of  repre- 
sentatives from  all  different  outfits  that  run  cattle.  A  rep  threw 
cattle  back  as  far  as  a  hundred-in-fifty  miles  or  more,  to  their 
home  range. 

If  you  was  a  cow  man  in  the  west,  when  it  was  a  cow  country, 
an  had  from  five  hundred  to  a  couple  thousand  head  a  cattle,  and 
no  fences,  when  you  hired  a  cowboy,  you  looked  for  a  representa- 
tive to  take  care  of  your  interest.  He  had  to  be  a  real  hand.  You 
didn't  want  a  politician  with  a  ten  gallon  hat,  a  runnin'  for  sheriff 
or  somepin,  or  one  of  them  that  always  whistle,  and  their  horse 
comes  to  'em.  That  string  a  ponies  you  cut  to  him,  he  had  to  get 
the  job  done  on  them.  A  good  cowboy  had  to  be  able  to  take  the 
initiative,  and  know  what  to  do  next.  There  wasn't  anybody  there 
to  tell  him  what  to  do.  In  other  words,  he's  a  man  that  'ed  be 
hkely  to  make  good  runnin'  his  own  outfit,  but  he  didn't  want  to 
settle  down-he  just  wanted  plenty  a  room. 

I  don't  want  to  form  the  impression  that  if  we  still  had  the  wide 
open  places  an  longhorn  cattle,  we  wouldn't  have  cowboys.  It's 
just  the  wide  open  places  an  longhorn  cattle  we  don't  have.  If  we 
still  had  'em,  all  the  kids  'ed  wanta  go  where  they  was,  even  if 
they  had  to  walk,  an  oh  boy,  does  a  kid  hate  to  walk  nowadays. 

A  good  cowboy,  or  real  hand,  always  knowed  the  country  well. 
He  knowed  every  brand  in  the  country,  an  who  owned  it.  If  he 
wasn't   smart  enough  to   read  brands   an  brand   all  the   calves 


THE  COWBOY  REPRESENTATIVE  OR  REP  15 

foUerin'  your  stock,  you  'ed  run  out  a  cattle.  More'n  likely,  when 
he  put  his  bed  on  his  night  horse,  an  started  off  across  the  hills 
with  his  string  a  cow  ponies,  you  wouldn't  see  him  for  six  or  seven 
months.  A  good  rep  '11  fight  for  his  outfit,  an  he's  careful  not  to 
miss  any  stock.  Cows  and  calves  was  often  run  off,  an  held  till 
the  calves  was  old  enough  to  wean,  and  then  branded  by  some 
rustler.  They  even  worked  cattle  ahead  of  the  roundup,  throwin' 
'em  back  where  the  wagon  had  already  been — then  later  on  they'ed 
brand  the  calves,  an  run  the  cows  off.  They  had  to  run  the  cows 
off.  A  calf  '11  foUer  its  mammy  long  after  she  weans  him.  It's 
nothin'  to  see  a  cow  with  a  three  or  four-month-old  calf  at  her 
side,  with  a  big  long  yearling  still  follerin'  her.  A  good  hand 
knows  that's  a  good  place  not  to  leave  any  she  stuff.  Someone's 
a  gettin'  off  with  your  calves — there  was  plenty  of  that  all  over  the 
west  in  the  early  days. 

Most  cowhands  never  had  over  a  couple  pair  of  levis  or  overalls 
at  one  time,  an  two  or  three  shirts,  a  old  pair  a  boots,  an  maybe  a 
pair  in  his  bed,  he  was  a  breakin'^  in.  I  don't  know  where  he  'ed 
carried  more  if  he  had  it.  He  slept  on  the  ground  in  his  own  bed. 
His  bed  was  made  up  of  a  tarp.  The  tarp  was  a  piece  of  heavy 
canvas,  eighteen  foot  long,  an  about  nine  foot  wide,  with  two  er 
three  sugans  folded  double,  one  on  top  of  the  other,  an  the  tarp 
was  spread  out  on  the  ground,  with  the  sugans  laid  on  one  end, 
about  a  foot  from  the  top,  then  a  double  wollen  blanket.  He  slept 
between  with  a  couple  more  sugans  or  quilts  on  top  of  them. 
The  bottom  of  the  tarp  was  throwed  over  the  beddin',  an  that  left 
the  canvas  under  an  over  the  bed.  Most  cowboys  used  their  boots, 
or  sourdough  coat,  for  a  pillow,  they  always  kept  dry  in  their  bed. 
At  night,  they'ed  roll  it  out  an  tuck  the  sides  under.  That  made 
it  harder  for  snakes  or  centipedes  to  get  in  bed  with  you.  That 
sourdough  coat,  the  cook  always  used  to  wrap  his  sour  dough  in 
to  keep  it  warm  so  it  'ed  rise-that's  where  it  got  its  name.  It  was 
a  sheepskin  lined  coat.  All  the  cowboys  always  had  one  a  them, 
an  believe  me,  it  sure  come  in  handy  standin'  guard  it  night. 

Soon  as  a  cowboy  'ed  roll  out  before  daylight  in  the  mornin', 
he  'ed  roll  his  bed  up  good  an  tight,  an  tie  it.  If  the  wagon  was 
movin',  he  'ed  throw  it  on  the  bed  wagon.  The  night  hawk  always 
drove  the  bed  wagon  from  one  camp  to  the  next.  It  was  loaded 
with  the  rope  corral,  sledge  hammer,  extra  ax  handles,  an  things 
like  that.  When  the  beds  was  loaded  for  thirty  or  more  cowboys, 
they  had  to  be  tied  down  good,  or  some  cowboy  'ed  be  short  his 
bed  that  night.  There  wasn't  no  roads  where  he  went-not  even  a 
wagon  rut  after  the  winter  snows. 

Most  of  the  water  wasn't  very  good,  especially  after  the  cattle 
had  drank  out  of  the  water  holes,  an  stood  in  'em  a  while.  Lots  of 
alkali  water,  so  we  always  carried  barrels  full  on  each  side  of  the 
bed  wagon  an  cook  wagon,  while  goin'  through  a  bad  water 
country. 


16  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

They  always  got  poUywogs  in  'em  before  the  barrels  'ed  get 
empty,  an  when  a  cowboy  'ed  get  a  drink,  he  'ed  always  hit  the 
top  of  the  water  with  the  dipper,  so  the  pollywogs  'ed  duck  to  the 
bottom-then  he  'ed  dip  out  a  cup  to  drink.  If  it  got  so  low  in  the 
barrel  they  couldn't  duck,  we  had  to  strain  the  water  through  a 
flour  sack.  The  cook  always  had  to  strain  it.  That  water  never 
hurt  me,  I  never  even  knowed  a  doctor  in  those  days. 

Someday,  Fm  gonna  tell  you  about  the  cook  that  forgot  to 
strain  the  pollywogs  out  of  the  water  'for  he  cooked  the  beans  in  it. 


Wyoming 

By 

Dick  J.  Nelson 

There  is  a  certain  charm  about  Old  Wyoming 

With  its  hills,  canyons,  streams,  grass,  and  trees 

That  seems  to  rest  my  spirit  and  set  my  heart  at  ease. 

It  brings  back  fond  old  memories  that  time  cannot  efface, 

I  feel  sure  that  the  One  Great  Roundup  Foreman 

Still  brands  as  TOPS  my  old  home  place. 


Zhe  Mole-iH-tke-  Wall 

By 

Thelma  Gatchell  Condit 

PART  V,  SECTION  2:    OUTLAWS  AND  RUSTLERS 

By  the  time  the  Barnum  post  office  was  estabUshed  in  1897 
the  outlaw  picture  in  the  Hole-in-the-Wall  had  changed  consid- 
erably. "Flat-nosed"  George  Curry's  gang  was  now  hookedup 
with  Butch  Cassidy's  Wild  Bunch,  whose  operations  had  reached 
a  truly  spectacular  climax  about  this  time.  These  former  horse 
and  cow  thieves  were  now  universally  branded  genuine  badmen 
sought  by  the  law,  for  Cassidy  had  organized  the  most  far-reaching 
chain  of  outlaws  since  the  days  of  the  James  Brothers — a  gang  of 
expert  cowboy  horsemen,  who  for  15  years  boldly  and  gayly 
flouted  the  law  in  every  state  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region. 
Their  varied  activities  extended  from  Alma,  New  Mexico,  north 
to  the  Canadian  border,  and  from  Minnesota  west  to  Oregon. 

They  stole  horses,  rustled  cattle,  robbed  banks  and  post  offices, 
held  up  stage-coaches,  freight  strings  and  trains,  and  frequently 
shot  down  their  fellow  men.  But  these  young  "long-riders",  these 
ran^^eland  ruffians  were  mostly  just  happy-go-lucky  cowboys  out 
of  work,  whose  decision  to  follow  the  "Outlaw  Trail"  resulted 
from  boredom  and  lack  of  sufficient  excitement  in  other  walks  of 
life.  They  were  not,  at  heart,  evil  men  with  slimy  criminal  in- 
stincts. They  were  of  an  "altogether  different  breed" — big  like 
the  country  they  used  so  advantageously — cruel,  maybe — ruthless, 
sometimes;  but,  somehow,  staying  clean  and  reputable,  even  in 
their  law-breaking.  Their  opponents  were  always  armed  men, 
forewarned  and  shot  from  the  front;  they  never  plugged  an  unsus- 
pecting victim  in  the  back,  or  took  advantage  of  a  fool,  or  a  lesser 
man,  in  an  unfavorable  position  who  was  unable  (or  afraid)  to 
defend  himself  adequately  or  properly;  nor  did  they  wantonly  and 
recklessly  shoot  innocent  by-standers,  killing  like  cowards  do, 
simply  because  they  had  the  upper  hand  and  could.  Their  crimes 
were  big  like  the  country  they  worked  in — not  filthy,  foul  and 
cowardly  and  purposeless,  greedy,  petty,  and  sadistic  Uke  the 
doings  of  the  modern  criminal  element.  For  the  most  part,  and 
with  few  exceptions,  those  of  the  Hole-in-the-Wall  Gang  were  like- 
able fellows,  friendly  and  fair-minded,  who  left  behind  no  personal 
enemies. 

The  Hole-in-the-Wall  country  was  the  last  hide-out  on  the 
"Outlaw  Trail",  the  place  farthest  removed  from  the  persistent 
onslaught  of  the  law.     It  was  the  one  place,  because  of  its  wild 


Blue  Creek  Ranch,  site  of  old  Riverside  Postoffice,  as  it  was  when  Bud 
Stubbs  bought  it  from  Butch  Cassidy 


First  Barnum  Postoffice 


Judd  Ritter,  NH  hand,  on  fine  Hole-in-the-Wall  horse 


THE  HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  19 

bigness  and  rugged  terrain,  ideally  safe  and  delightfully  isolated, 
full  of  little  grassy  mountain  pockets  where  tired,  used  horses,  as 
well  as  pilfered  broncs,  could  graze  contentedly  until  moving-on 
time;  full  of  little  hidden  canyons  especially  made  for  the  leisurely 
changing  of  brands.  It  was  not  a  hurry-up  place  at  all;  there  was 
always  plenty  of  safe  time.  Here  train  robbers  could  be  swallowed 
up  like  magic,  bringing  sheriffs'  posses  to  a  sudden  halt,  leaving 
them  feeling  furiously  foolish  to  have  been  foiled  so  completely 
and  unexpectedly  when  the  moment  of  closing-in  seemed  so 
certain. 

It  seemed  rather  strange,  too,  this  isolation  factor,  for,  by  now, 
the  red  wall  country  was  becoming  settled.  Homesteaders  were 
piling  up  little  heaps  of  rocks  on  land  corners  to  mark  their 
claims,  and  there  was  much,  very  much,  coming  and  going  in  the 
Powder  River  country. 

It  is  well,  perhaps,  to  describe  the  Barnum  postoffice  and  its 
surroundings — where  again  we  art  able  to  get  fleeting,  and  often 
very  humorous,  glimpses  of  early-day  characters,  both  good  and 
bad;  where  we  can  scan  all  too  briefly  a  cross-section  of  these 
people  so  typical  of  this  outlaw-rustling  period.  Barnum  got  its 
name  from  its  first  postmaster,  Thomas  Freeguard  Barnum.  Tom 
had  had  a  goodly  sample  of  frontier  life  before  he  staked  out  his 
homestead  under  the  cottonwoods  on  Beaver  Creek.  He'd  fallen 
in  love  with  the  place  many  years  before  when  he  was  hunting 
buffalo  and  serving  as  an  escort  for  the  government  wagon  trains 
during  the  Indian  Campaign  on  the  Powder.  Seeing  as  how  Tom 
was  such  a  quiet,  sort  of  wizened-up,  flat-chested  httle  person, 
unassuming  in  both  appearance  and  manner  and  a  confirmed 
bachelor  to  boot,  it's  hard  to  believe  he'd  fallen  in  love  with  a 
place  because  of  its  beauty;  but  he  did.  He  liked  the  red  wall 
and  the  mountain  and  the  water  and  the  trees — the  redness,  the 
blueness  and  greenness  all  around.  He  liked  the  quiet  peaceful- 
ness  and  the  potentials  for  a  little  cow  business  of  his  own  some 
day. 

Tom  had  been  one  of  the  Green  Mountain  boys  from  Vermont, 
who  joined  up  with  the  Union  Army.  When  he  was  discharged 
at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  in  1865  he  decided  to  go  on  West, 
as  he  felt  restless  and  at  loose  ends,  as  did  most  of  the  soldiers; 
and  about  the  only  way  a  fellow  with  nothing  but  "army  script" 
in  his  pocket  could  get  farther  west  was  to  sign  up  with  some 
freight  string  and  earn  his  way  out.  Tom  became  a  bullwhacker 
for  Waddell  and  Russell,  the  biggest  overland  freighters  of  the 
West  (and  being  so  slight  a  man  he  surely  seemed  ill-fitted  for  the 
work).  Each  driver  had  four  wagons  pulled  by  twelve  yoke  of 
oxen  and  the  pay  was  around  $100  a  month.  In  June  of  that  year 
the  freight  outfit  pulled  into  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  near  Cheyenne, 
which  was  the  end  of  the  haul.     Tom  drew  his  pay  and  headed 


20 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Thomas  Freeguard  Barnum,  first 
Barnum  postmaster 


for  Fort  Fetterman  (near  Doug- 
las, Wyo. )  where  he  heard  jobs 
were  to  be  had.  Here  he  began 
work  as  "horse-tender". 

Tom  next  found  employment 
as  a  buffalo  hunter  and  escort 
for  the  government  freight  wag- 
ons plying  north  over  the  Boze- 
man  Trail.  It  was  at  this  time 
that  he  became  acquainted  with 
the  Powder  River  country. 

In  1878  he  returned  to  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri,  and  met  his 
brother,  Guy  Perry  and  family, 
who  also  wanted  to  come  west. 
They  equipped  themselves  with 
wagons  and  mule  teams  and 
took  out  over  the  Oregon  Trail, 
ending  up  at  Fort  Fetterman 
where  they  stayed  until  coming 
to  Johnson  County  in  the  mid- 
dle '80's.  Tom  had  a  Civil 
War  buddy,  a  Mr.  Lander, 
who'd  come  to  Wyoming  and 
taken  up  a  homestead  on  the  North  Fork  of  the  Powder,  a  few 
miles  west  of  present-day  Kaycee.  So  the  Barnums  decided  to 
stay  with  him  until  they  got  themselves  a  place  to  live. 

It  was  then  that  Tom  staked  out  his  homestead  and  commenced 
putting  up  his  cabin  on  Beaver  Creek,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Creek  just  at  the  bend  below  the  old  Glenn  Carr  place,  about  one 
mile  from  the  foot  of  the  mountains  and  300  yards  west  of  the 
break  in  the  wall  where  the  road  came  through.  Tom  took  up  the 
land  with  the  "script"  in  his  pocket.  Every  Civil  War  soldier  got 
script,  which  was  a  piece  of  paper  issued  by  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment granting  the  holder  the  right  to  settle  on  a  piece  of  land. 
After  the  Homestead  Act  Tom  went  to  Buffalo  and  legally  filed 
on  the  land.  This  was  to  be  the  beginning  of  his  cow  ranch 
(which,  by  the  way,  never  materialized  beyond  a  few  head  of 
cattle  he  and  Guy  ran  up  on  the  slope  on  free  government  land). 
The  little  two-roomed,  dirt-roofed,  stone-floored  cabin  was  the 
first  Barnum  post  office.  Tom  had  to  have  two  rooms  because  he 
couldn't  stand  to  have  "his  sleeping  quarters"  and  "his  eating 
quarters"  all  in  one  room;  he  had  the  post  office  in  his  sleeping 
room. 

In  those  days  a  postmaster  received  no  regular  salary,  his  only 
pay  came  from  the  cancellation  of  stamps,  and  it  wasn't  long 
before  Tom  knew  he  couldn't  make  a  living  at  being  postmaster, 
not  even  enough  for  a  grubstake,  so  he  decided  to  have  Guy's 


THE  HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  21 

family  move  over  and  let  Guy's  wife  do  the  postal  work,  thus 
leaving  the  two  men  free  to  go  out  and  work,  which  they  did. 
Tom  was  roundup  cook  for  the  various  big  cow-outfits.  He  was 
a  neat  little  fellow  and,  while  on  the  slow  side,  always  got  things 
done  when  he  put  his  mind  to  it.  Guy  worked  wherever  he  could 
— mostly  as  a  hay-hand  on  the  ranches  round  about,  after  they'd 
put  up  a  larger  cabin  for  his  family  which  was  increasing  by  leaps 
and  bounds.  This  they  built  just  south  of  the  post  office — it  had 
four  rooms  in  the  shape  of  an  L — three  rooms  in  a  row  and  one 
room  on  the  end.  It,  too,  had  a  dirt  roof  on  which  grass  grew 
when  it  could  and  "sawmill"  floors  which  were  really  something 
at  that  time.  A  fellow  by  the  name  of  Pat  Connelley  (unsure  of 
the  spelling)  had  just  started  a  sawmill  up  on  the  slope  in  the 
first  line  of  timber  on  the  old  wood  road  ( and  stage  route  over  the 
mountain),  so  "sawed  boards"  now  took  the  place  of  the  former 
stone  for  floors. 

Guy  Bamum  was  a  little  fellow,  too,  but  not  neat  or  thin  like 
Tom.  He  was  bald-headed  and  round-faced  and  as  "black- 
whiskered  as  they  come".  Like  Tom  he  never  had  much  to  say, 
which,  perhaps,  was  a  good  thing  in  the  long  run,  for  Guy's  wife 
made  up  for  both  of  them.  She  talked  incessantly,  endlessly — 
partly,  because  she  probably  was  lonesome  (just  she  and  the  kids 
there  alone  most  of  the  time)  and  partly  because  of  the  friendly 
sociability  of  her  nature.  Talking  was  apparently  an  outlet  for 
her  pent-up  emotions  and  frustrations. 

The  years  went  by  and  the  kids  were  getting  good-sized  and  still 
there  was  no  cow  outfit.  As  Guy  grew  older  nothing  like  that 
mattered  much  anyhow,  for  he  had  to  coddle  his  gouty  right  foot 
which  had  become  so  painfully  swollen  he  couldn't  bear  any  weight 
on  it,  or  endure  the  pain  when  it  hung  down  the  way  a  leg  should. 
So  Guy  rigged  up  a  peg-leg  of  sorts  upon  which  his  right  knee 
rested.  Using  a  piece  of  old  ragged  quilt  as  padding,  he  strapped 
the  peg  onto  his  bent  knee  with  an  old  leather  thong,  leaving  his 
foot  and  leg  sticking  out  behind  in  a  decidedly  awkward,  ridiculous 
manner;  but,  at  least,  he  was  able  to  get  around  some  by  using 
this  contraption.  However,  by  now,  Guy  didn't  want  to  get 
around  much — mostly  he  just  lay  on  the  bed  and  let  the  rest  of 
the  world  go  by.  A  person  couldn't  help  wondering  what  he 
thought  about  on  that  bed  month  after  month — not  reading,  not 
talking — just  lying.  Maybe  he  got  pleasure  out  of  just  listening 
to  his  wife  and  the  folks  coming  and  going.  Suppose  no  one  will 
ever  know,  just  as  they  won't  ever  know  about  a  lot  of  other  things 
that  happened  in  the  Hole-in-the-Wall. 

Guy's  son,  John,  now  an  old  man,  still  lives  in  Johnson  County 
in  a  little  cabin  at  the  foot  of  EK  Mountain  (on  the  Clark  Condit 
ranch)  where  he  traps  bobcats  and  an  occasional  coyote. 

Butch  Cassidy,  really  George  Leroy  Parker,  had  now  settled 
on  the  old  Riverside  postoffice  site  on  Blue  Creek  and,  posing 


22  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

in  the  guise  of  an  honest  homesteader,^  had  ostensibly  set  up 
ranching  operations  along  with  Curry.  He  improved  the  place, 
adding  another  cabin  and  more  corrals,  etc.  which  lent  a  legitimate 
touch  to  the  outlaw  set  up,  and  at  the  same  time  furnished  the 
fellows  with  a  grub  stake  place,  an  information  bureau  of  sorts, 
and  a  refuge  where  they  could  stay  and  rest  up  awhile  and  act 
normal  if  they  wished  (which  is  good  for  anybody).  For  no  one 
would  come  in  and  arrest  a  man  on  his  own  ranch,  would  he? 
No,  he  wouldn't,  because  he  couldn't,  even  if  he  tried,  for  Cassidy 
and  Curry  would  have  disappeared  up  one  of  the  many  draws 
before  the  door  had  even  opened  or  closed.  You'd  never  see  or 
find  an  outlaw  there,  if  he  didn't  wish  to  be  seen  or  found.  It  was 
just  that  easy;  ridiculously  easy,  for  everybody  round  about  took  a 
stand  favorable  to  the  Wild  Bunch,  and  not  because  they  were 
afraid  to  oppose  them,  either.  They  stood  behind  them  because 
they  had  no  good  reason,  no  man-to-man,  personal  reason  to  be 
against  them,  and  if  you  weren't  openly  against  a  man,  whether  you 
exactly  approved  of  what  he  did  or  not,  you  still  did  him  no 
appreciable  harm;  and  if  a  man  took  no  stand  whatever — just 
remained  "plum"  neutral — he  still  provided  a  favorable  situation 
for  the  outlaws  and  rustlers.  Simmering  it  all  down,  Cassidy's 
bunch  lived  in  a  strictly  friendly  neighborhood  whenever  they  were 
in  the  Hole-in-the-Wall  country,  as  did  all  the  other  transients 
and  lone  badmen  who  came  and  went.  They  harmed  no  one 
there  and  no  one  was  in  the  least  afraid  because  the  outlaws  were 
there,  nor  was  any  door  barred  to  protect  the  womenfolk.  Every- 
body, including  the  homesteaders  (and  this  is  true)  did  as  he 
pleased,  in  so  far  as  he  was  able,  and  asked  no  questions  and 
answered  no  questions.  Cattle  rustling  was  so  general  up  and 
down  the  Powder  that,  as  one  old-timer  so  aptly  said,  "They  had 
them  cows  plum  wore  out  stealin'  'em  from  each  other." 

One  rancher  had  a  couple  of  fine  horses  he  kept  just  for  the 
purpose  of  selling  over  and  over,  as  the  need  arose,  to  pay  his 
grocery  bill,  for  he  had  an  extravagant  wife  and  a  houseful  of  kids. 
They  were  smart  horses  and  just  plain  satisfied  staying  right  in 
the  Hole-in-the-Wall  where  they  figured  they  rightfully  belonged; 
one  was  named  "Cottonwood"  and  the  other  "Long  Head,"  and 
both  were  big  dependable  horses,  "gentle-broke".  Mostly  they 
were  sold  to  some  inexperienced  homesteader  over  in  the  Basin 
country  and  long  before  he  could  get  around  to  burning  his  brand 
on  them,  they'd  be  back  home  poking  their  noses  over  the  corral 
gate  as  if  nothing  whatever  had  taken  place  out  of  the  ordinary. 
They  had  no  objections  of  any  kind,  either,  about  being  put  in  a 
Uttle  hidden  pasture  until  the  next  time  the  grocery  bill  was  due. 


1.  He  did   have  the   homestead   rights   as   abstracts   of  present   owners 
plainly  show. 


THE  HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  23 

When  this  had  gone  on  as  long  as  humanly  possible  (even  in  those 
times)  these  two  horses,  sad  as  it  was,  were  sold  to  Malcolm 
Moncrieffe  of  Big  Horn,  who  bought  horses  for  the  war  in  Eng- 
land. Many  loyal,  gallant  horses  ended  up  over  there,  which 
seemed  mighty  unfair,  and  as  ignoble  almost  as  being  sent  to  the 
meat  cannery,  but  such  was  life;  unpredictable,  and  at  times  unjust 
beyond  any  sensible  explanation,  even  for  a  horse. 

A  fairly  clear  picture  of  the  times  is  told  by  a  woman  who  lived 
in  the  Powder  River  country  behind  the  Wall.  She  wrote: 
"Through  all  these  wild  happenings  down  here  the  people  were 
perfectly  safe.  We  had  as  high  as  12  or  15  hundred  dollars  in 
the  house  at  a  time  and  the  outlaws  knew  it  and  didn't  touch  it. 
Everyone  threw  their  "chicken-feed"  coin  on  the  dresser  to  buy 
stamps  with,  as  there  wasn't  much  else  to  buy  then,  and  sometimes 
it  grew  to  quite  a  pile,  but  it  was  never  taken.  .  .  .  Dirty  Jim,  a 
shady  character,  who  drifted  into  ,the  Hole-in-the-Wall,  worked 
for  us  on  our  ranch  awhile.  He  was  one  of  the  most  low,  vile  men 
I  ever  met,  yet  he  never  molested  us  in  anyway.  .  .  .  The  Roberts 
Brothers,  two  dangerous,  shifty-eyed  murderers,  came  in  here  from 
somewhere  and  were  fed  and  housed  at  our  place  the  same  as 
everyone  else.  The  ranchers  were  all  dispensers  of  hospitality  in 
those  days,  and  everyone  that  came  along  hung  up  his  hat  and 
called  it  home,  very  often  spending  an  entire  winter  without  invi- 
tation^.  .  .  .  All  kinds  of  men  put  in  an  appearance,  like  a  fellow 
named  Mel  Olmstead,  who  was  a  young  arrogant,  egotistical 
would-be  badman.  He  used  to  wear  us  out  telling  how  he  was 
going  to  rob  a  bank.  We  told  him  he  didn't  have  sense  enough  to 
come  in  out  of  the  rain,  but  he  did  finally  assist  Tom  O'Day  in 
robbing  a  bank  by  holding  his  saddle  horse.  And  the  funny  thing 
about  it  was  that  everybody  got  away  but  poor  Mel — he  got 
killed.  .  .  .  Then  there  was  a  little  high-complexioned  feminine- 
looking  fellow — can't  remember  his  name — who  robbed  the  Buf- 
falo postoffice  one  night.  Even  though  such  a  weak-lookin'  young 
thing,  guess  he  had  quite  a  record  behind  him.  You  never  knew 
about  people  in  those  days  for  you  didn't  ask  questions.  It  didn't 
really  matter  who  they  were." 

You  didn't  know  whether  your  guest  was  what  he  seemed,  an 
honest  roving  cowboy  looking  for  a  job,  or  whether  he  was  an 
outlaw  stooge  pretending  to  want  work,  only  to  be  the  eyes  and 
ears  for  future  outlaw  escapades. 

The  outlaw  setup  was  different  after  Cassidy  arrived.     Mere 


2.  Old  Bill  speck,  whose  story  will  be  told  laier,  rode  up  to  a  ranch 
below  Kaycee  one  time  with  his  whole  pack-string  to  stay  over  night.  He 
and  his  horses  ended  up  staying  three  years.  They  finally  had  to  ask  him  to 
leave  because  he  refused  to  close  the  gates  on  the  ranch  when  he  went 
visiting  up  Kaycee  way. 


24 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


horse  stealing  and  cattle  rustling  in  themselves  had  grown  too 
tame  for  Butch.  His  cool  daring  and  adventuresome  spirit  de- 
manded excitement  of  a  higher  type.  Practically  everybody  was  a 
horse  thief;  it  was  easy  of  accomplishment,  and  while  a  profitable 
enough  sideline  and  certainly  not  one  to  be  scoffed  at  or  discarded 
entirely,  it  definitely  provided  very  little  challenge  to  an  outlaw 
with  a  price  on  his  head  and  a  notorious  reputation  to  maintain. 
Cassidy  expanded  the  outlaw  history  of  the  west  to  such  an  extent 
that  this  spectacular  period  of  "horse  and  cowboy  outlawing" 
became  a  live,  never-to-be  forgotten  drama,  colorful  and  dynamic. 
George  Leroy  Parker  in  the  early  '90's  was  just  a  kid,  cowboying 
in  southern  Utah — a  live  hand,  but  too  full  of  steam  to  be  content 
with  slow,  easy  living.  It  is  thought  his  outlaw  career  began  when 
he  met  and  became  associated  with  some  of  Black  Jack's  gang 
(Tom  Ketchum)  of  train  robbers,  who  were  cowboying  on  some 
of  these  ranches  in  Utah.  Undoubtedly  the  seed  of  outlawry  was 
sown  then  and  began  to  quicken  when,  a  few  years  later,  he  met 
Harve  Logan,  who  was  with  Curry's  Hole-in-the-Wall  gang.  Any- 
way, after  Cassidy  came  to  Johnson  County  and  took  over  Curry's 
bunch  he  and  Black  Jack  Ketchum  combined  operations  and  put 
train  robbing  in  the  realm  of  big  business. 

All  the  things  accomplished  over  this  huge  area  by  these  cowboy 
outlaws  could  never  have  been  done  without  the  gallant  horses 
under  them.    Far  too  little  has  been  told  of  the  horses  and  the  part 


THE  HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  25 

they  played  in  all  this.  Like  the  pioneer  women  they  have  been 
too  casually  taken  for  granted,  and  certainly  too  little  emphasis 
has  been  brought  to  bear  upon  their  stupendous  contribution  in 
early  day  transportation.  Who  has  ever  been  told  of  the  cruel, 
undeserved  ending  of  those  few  gallant  ones  that  died  of  starvation, 
tied  up  (or  locked  up)  in  some  hidden  place,  weakening  and 
dying  with  the  saddle  on,  waiting  too  long  for  the  rider  who  never 
returned,  with  nothing  left  of  a  story  of  loyalty  but  a  pile  of  rotted 
leather  and  dried-up  bones  long  since  buried  under  years  of  debris. 
The  cowboy  outlaws  valued  their  horses  above  everything  else 
on  earth  and  were  meticulous  in  their  choice  of  mounts,  more  than 
painstaking  in  the  breaking  and  training  of  the  ones  used  on  the 
Outlaw  Trail.  Being  expert  horse  thieves  and  the  best  of  horse- 
men, they  knew  horseflesh  from  A  to  Z  and  always  had  the  very 
best  at  their  disposal.  For  what  would  a  cowboy  be  without  his 
horse?  His  horse  was  the  only  investment  in  his  trade,  his  only 
means  of  going  any  place,  and  often  his  closest  friend.  Surely 
this  bond  between  a  cowboy  and  his  horse,  when  they  became  as 
one,  a  perfect  working  unit  where  the  man  knew  and  trusted  the 
horse,  and  the  horse  understood  and  respected  the  man,  was  a 
rare,  God-like  thing. 

There  is  something  distinctly  fitting  and  proper  and  mighty 
good  about  a  man  and  a  horse  taking  out  over  the  trail,  covering 
mile  after  weary  mile,  looking  off  into  the  bigness  of  long  distances, 
breathing  the  clean  invigorating  air — just  the  man  and  the  horse 
alone  with  the  sky,  the  hills,  the  clouds,  the  wind  and  the  dust 
and  their  "man-and-horse"  thoughts.  A  fellow  can  get  pretty 
close  to  the  roots  of  living  and  the  feeling  of  life  when  his  horse 
is  the  only  other  living  thing  there  is  around.  That  true-blue  ani- 
mal under  him  somehow  gives  him  a  feeling  of  security  and  above 
all  a  glorious  sense  of  freedom  and  well-being,  as  if  belonging  to 
all  this  bigness  surrounding  them.  It  also  gives  him  a  feeling  of 
power,  for  it's  dead  certain  that  together  they  can  face  anything 
unexpected  that  might  turn  up,  be  it  Old  Mother  Nature  in  a  fury, 
or  some  man-made  thing,  and  even  if  they  can't  lick  it  they  can 
give  it  a  "good  run  for  the  money"  and  not  have  to  be  ashamed 
of  the  mark  they  made.  A  cowboy  from  Barnum  once  said  this 
about  one  of  his  horses.  Old  Box,  a  beautiful  chestnut  sorrel  with 
a  little  star  on  his  forehead.  "God,  it's  good  to  get  back  on  Old 
Box — the  old  devil  sure  does  keep  a  man  on  his  toes.  It's  a 
downright  God-blasted  cinch  you  can't  take  no  liberties  with  him. 
You  sure  as  hell  can't  take  no  nap  on  him— but  I  sure  do  like  a 
horse  like  him.  Treat  him  like  a  gentleman  and  he'll  hold  up  his 
end  of  the  bargain  and  more." 

No  men  ever  worshipped  and  revered  the  stamina  of  horseflesh 
more  than  these  cowboy  outlaws,  and  throughout  the  entire  story 
of  western  history,  theft  of  horseflesh  meant  gun-play  and  hangings 
galore.    Many  Indians,  as  well  as  white  men,  have  dangled  from 


26  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

the  end  of  manila  for  stealing  prize  horses.  In  desperate  privation 
or  under  great  duress  a  western  man  might  eat  a  mule,  but  never 
his  faithful  horse. -^ 

The  Hole-in-the-Wall  country  w^as  a  perfect  training  ground  for 
the  outlaw's  horses.  Cassidy's  ranch  became  a  bronc-breaking 
place  where  the  best  of  the  horses  were  prepared  for  the  Outlaw 
Trail.  Nature's  mingling  of  magnificent  mixtures  of  Morgan, 
Hamiltonian,  Thoroughbred,  Standardbred,  Arabian,  Barb,  Palo- 
mino, Mustang,  Maverick  and  just  plain  Cayuse  made  up  these 
hard-working  and  often  abused  horses  of  the  West.  Their  speed 
and  strength  were  the  pride  of  the  land,  and  like  the  men  who 
rode  them,  they  knew  the  routes  over  mountain  passes,  valleys  and 
canyons,  over  badlands  and  alkali  bogs.  They  were  sure-footed, 
giant-hearted  and  dependable.  There  were  no  broom-tails  or  ring- 
tails in  the  bunch.  You  can  bet  a  real  Westerner  never  rode  either 
if  he  could  help  it  for  a  "ring-tail-er"^  was  nearly  always  a  no-good 
animal,  neither  reliable  nor  smart. 

Cassidy,  being  an  extraordinary  man  in  many  ways,  broke  and 
trained  his  own  private  horses.  No  time  was  too  long  for  him 
to  spend  working  with  and  sweating  over  a  horse,  until  its  response 
to  orders  was  instantaneous.  He  never  considered  a  horse  broke 
until  he  and  the  horse  had  become  a  perfect  working  unit.  He 
said,  "You  got  to  get  the  horse  to  liking  and,  above  all,  respecting 
you  and  wanting  to  respond."  That  was  the  all  important  thing, 
always.  Thus  Cassidy's  success  in  evading  the  law  was  not  mere 
luck.  He  worked  at  his  job  and  never  tackled  anything,  however 
minor,  ill-prepared,  and  he  never  rode  a  "green"  horse.  He  knew 
what  he  was  going  to  do  and  so  did  the  horse.  There  was  very 
little  left  to  chance  (and  his  quick  wits  took  care  of  that).  There 
was  nothing  "hit  and  miss"  about  Cassidy  in  spite  of  his  gay, 
light-hearted  manner,  and  contrary  to  what  a  lot  of  people  think, 
there  was  much  more  than  glamorous  galloping  around  to  an 
outlaw's  life.  There  was  grueling  hard  work  connected  with  prac- 
tically every  phase  of  his  profession — long  hard  hours  of  riding 
and  days  of  exhausting  privation.  It  took  careful  planning  and 
strict  discipline  of  both  men  and  horses,  each  doing  certain  things 
at  certain  times  all  along  the  line. 

Cassidy's  splendid  horses  could  go  down  a  steep  shale  hill  on  a 


3.  An  old  Hole-in-the-Wall  cowboy  once  visited  the  meat  Processing 
Plant  in  Casper  when  it  was  first  started  up.  He  took  one  look  at  the 
"de-hided"  horse  on  the  pulley  ready  to  be  sliced  open  for  gutting,  and  that 
was  enough  for  him.  Turning  around,  pale  as  a  sheet,  he  bolted  out  the 
door  mumbling,  "darned  sacrilege  doing  that  to  a  horse" — for  to  him  a 
horse  was  like  one  of  the  family  and  ought  to  be  kept  on  good  feed  until 
"death  claimed  him  natural". 

4.  A  ring-tail  horse  is  always  switching  his  tail  around  in  a  ring.  One 
can  see  a  lot  of  them  in  modern  "Western  movies". 


THE  HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  27 

dead  run,  jumping  in  powerful  "20  foot"  leaps,  sinking  slender 
hooves  eight  inches  in  the  earth.  They  could  safely  leap  off  high 
cutbanks  and  swiftly  ascend  narrow  steep  ledges,  and  they  could 
turn  like  a  flash  and  be  gone  like  the  wind,  or  stand  and  wait 
indefinitely.  Like  the  well-trained  athlete,  they  had  in  reserve  that 
last  spurt  of  strength  which  spelled  the  difference  between  success 
and  failure.  Endurance,  speed,  intelHgence,  beauty  and  loyalty, 
they  had  them  all  and  served  their  riders  nobly.  (Of  course, 
there  were  always  bad,  no-good  horses  as  there  always  were  bad, 
no-good  men,  but  they  only  served,  by  contrast,  to  heighten  the 
others'  glory.) 

Cassidy's  favorite  horse  was  a  powerfully-built  dappled-grey, 
a  magnificent  animal.  It  is  said  that  one  time  when  a  bunch  of 
fellows  were  bedded  down  out  on  the  trail  somewhere,  this  horse 
mysteriously  disappeared.  At  dawn  next  morning  when  Cassidy 
awoke  and  found  him  gone  he  nearly  went  wild  with  grief.  It  was 
the  first  time  any  had  seen  him  completely  shaken  and  unnerved. 
He  left  no  stone  unturned  until  he  got  the  horse  back  (the  details 
of  which  are  not  now  remembered). 
"^  Cassidy's  outlaws  were  called  The  Hole-In-The-Wall  Gang,  The 

'■  Wild  Bunch  or  the  Trainrobbers  Syndicate.     The  only  requisites 

to  becoming  a  member  were:  first,  be  a  good  shot,  no  half-way 
stuff;  second,  be  a  top  horseman;  and  third,  be  absolutely  familiar 
with  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  of  the  West. 

Cassidy  and  "Flat-nosed"  George  Curry  were  much  the  same 
type  of  men  tempermentally — both  everybody's  friend,  likeable, 
good-natured,  honest-when-trusted,  steel-nerved,  quick-witted  and 
daring.  Cassidy  was  five  foot  eight  inches  tall  and  weighed  around 
155  pounds,  and  (like  Curry)  had  light  brown  hair  with  a  pro- 
nounced cowlick  in  front.  Both  were  soft-voiced  and  quick- 
spoken  and  physically  very  graceful  and  fast-moving.  Cassidy 
was  considered  very  good-looking  and  always  played  the  gentleman 
in  speech  and  manners.  The  ladies  all  loved  him  (or  wished  they 
could).  He  was  a  man  of  unusual  character,  a  venerable  Robin 
Hood,  laughing  and  gay,  and  always  kind  and  charitable  toward 
the  unfortunate. 

He  wore  a  wicked-looking  Frontier  Model  .44  Colt  revolver 
with  a  big  wooden  handle  stuck  in  his  trouser  belt,  so  as  to  be  as 
inconspicuous  as  possible.  (No  notches  on  it,  either,  for  Butch 
never  notched  his  guns).  He  went  into  the  holdup  game  purely 
for  the  sport  of  it.  It  was  a  challenge  to  the  fun-loving  side  of 
him,  and  later  when  he  came  to  fully  realize  that  the  bandit  trail 
had  but  one  inevitable  ending,  disaster  and  retribution,  (no  matter 
how  good  a  fellow  was  at  it)  he  figured  he  was  far  too  involved 
to  quit,  so  played  it  gallantly  through  to  the  end.  You  have  to 
admire  a  man  who  wilfully  charts  his  own  course  and  then  sticks 
to  it  even  when  it  gets  tough.  Cassidy  never  became  soured  or 
unhappy  about  his  fate,  but  he  probably  had  plenty  of  inward 


28  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

regrets  that  he  hadn't  used  his  fine  talents  and  rugged  capabilities 
for  a  more  worthy  cause. 

One  time  a  friend  asked,  "Butch,  why  don't  you  give  up  ban- 
ditry?" and  he  said,  "It  can't  be  done.  There's  no  use  trying  to 
hide  out  and  go  straight.  There's  always  an  informer  around  to 
bring  the  law  on  you.  After  you've  started  you've  got  to  keep 
going,  that's  all.  The  safest  way  is  to  keep  moving  all  the  time 
and  spring  a  holdup  in  some  new  place.  In  this  way  you  keep 
the  other  fellow  guessing." 

Nobody  at  all  could  ever  understand  why  he  and  Harve  Logan 
got  along  so  well,  for  everybody  said  that  Harve  was  the  most 
dangerous  man  Butch  ever  associated  with.  Yet  Butch  said, 
"Harve  Logan  was  the  bravest,  coolest  and  most  able  man  I've 
ever  known."  Harve  was  the  youngest  of  the  three  Logan  brothers 
who  came  West  from  Missouri  and  took  up  cattle  rustling  right 
from  the  start.  Lonny  and  John  got  themselves  "bumped  off"  in  a 
shooting  scrape  in  a  short  time  and  Harve  headed  for  Wyoming 
and  joined  up  with  Curry's  Hole-in-the-Wall  bunch. 

Harve  went  by  a  lot  of  different  names.  Around  Thermopolis 
and  the  Basin  country  he  was  known  as  Ed  Howard,  and  in 
Johnson  County  he  was  referred  to  as  a  "Curry".  He  was  nick- 
named, and  rightly,  the  "Tiger  of  the  Hole-in-the-Wall"  gang. 
Harve  was  quite  a  distinguished  looking  fellow  too;  tall,  medium 
dark-complexioned  and  wore  a  mustache.  He  had  two  outstand- 
ing characteristics,  his  extreme  quietness  and  his  habitual  polite- 
ness. It  was,  "Yes,  sir,"  and  "No,  sir."  He  never  drank,  smoked 
or  used  profane  language,  which  was  probably  why  he  always 
appeared  rather  stiff  and  dignified,  in  a  crowd,  aloof  and  un- 
friendly, though,  perhaps,  not  so  much  unfriendly  as  just  disin- 
terested. While  in  his  presence  you  felt  that  he  was  deliberately 
ignoring  you  and  immediately  you  felt  resentful  toward  him,  for 
no  real  particular  reason.  Logan  was  the  only  member  of  the 
Hole-in-the-Wall  gang  (as  far  as  is  known)  who  was  a  cold- 
blooded murderer.  It  was  rumored  that  he  had  "thirty-some" 
killings  to  his  credit  (or  discredit)  and  that  he  ruthlessly  plotted 
revenge  for  every  wrong  he  figured  had  been  done  him,  even  if 
purely  imaginary,  no  matter  how  long  it  took  him  to  get  the  job 
done.  He  could  wait  until  the  right  time  came  and  shoot  a  man  as 
easily  as  he  could  a  rattlesnake.  Cassidy  never  killed  and  hated 
killing,  even  necessary  killing,  yet  he  and  Harve  were  the  best  of 
friends.  Maybe  they  complemented  each  other;  maybe  Logan 
supplied  a  little  of  the  hardness  Cassidy  lacked  and  maybe  Cassidy 
served  to  soften  a  little  of  Logan's  hardness  or  perhaps  it  was  a 
case  of  opposites  attracting  opposites. 

Harry  Longabaugh  (called  the  Sundance  Kid  because  he'd  been 
jailed  at  Sundance,  Wyoming,  for  rustling)  joined  the  Wild  Bunch 
and  also  became  a  fast  friend  of  Cassidy.  This  attachment  was 
understandable,  for  Lonabaugh  was  like  Cassidy,  happy-go-lucky, 


THE  HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  29 

courageous,  and  liked  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  also  was  tall, 
good-looking  and  dark-complexioned  with  a  smart  mustache,  very 
temperate  in  his  drinking  and  never  a  killer.  It  was  said  that 
Cassidy,  Logan  and  Lonebaugh  were  the  "big  trio"  of  the  Hole- 
in-the-Wall  gang. 

What  a  strange  happenstance  that  Cassidy  and  Lormbaugh,  who 
never  killed,  never  robbed  an  employer  and  never  betrayed  a 
friend,  lived  in  outlawry  the  longest  of  all  the  restless  cowboys 
who  voted  cattle-stealing  too  slow;  they  were  more  feared  than 
any  other  bandits  who  ever  held  up  a  train  or  robbed  a  bank. 
They  escaped  the  longest  from  the  clutches  of  the  law — they  had 
simply  gone  so  far  along  the  Outlaw  Trail  there  was  no  turning 
back. 

Others  known  to  be  in  Cassidy's  bunch  were  Bill  Carver,  Bob 
Lee  (a  cousin  of  Harve  Logan),  BilfMcGinnis  (alias  Elza  Lay), 
Dave  Atkins,  Bill  Cruzan,  Ben  Kilpatrick  and  Tom  O'Day,  called 
"Peep  O'Day".  No  one  now  remembers  much  about  any  of  these 
men  except  Ben  and  Tom.  Ben  was  a  big,  tall,  dark-complexioned 
Texan,  very  handsome  and  clean-faced.  One  old  timer  said 
"There  was  a  sort  of  cleanness  hangin'  all  over  Ben.  He  looked 
you  so  straight  in  the  eye  and  seemed  so  sincere  and  serious- 
minded  for  a  young  "fella"  that  nuthin'  about  him  made  you  think 
he  was  a  bad  man,  and  he  couldn't  a  been  too  bad." 

Everybody  knew  Tom  O'Day,  the  big,  husky,  easy-going  Irish- 
man who  was  the  gang's  "outside  contact  man".  He'd  spot  the 
stuff  for  the  others  to  pick  up.  He'd  nonchalantly  ride  into  a 
cow  camp  (or  ranch)  and  picket  his  horse  and  stay  overnight,  or 
maybe  a  day  or  two.  (Most  of  the  time  he  rode  a  fine-looking 
powerfully-built  bay  horse)  He  was  so  very  sociable  and  enter- 
taining that  the  lonesome  line-rider  (or  whoever  it  was)  would  feel 
plenty  flattered  to  have  Tom  stay  awhile  and,  believe  it,  he  always 
stayed  until  he  had  the  lay  of  the  land  and  all  he  wanted  to  find 
out.  His  decidedly  charming  manner  immediately  disarmed  his 
victims.  He  was  genuinely  liked  and  was  the  kind  of  person  you 
just  automatically  talked  to.  First  thing,  he'd  find  out  all  about 
your  cows  and  horses  and  what  you  planned  to  do  and  all  the 
while  you  were  stupidly  unaware  of  the  fact  that  he'd  gained  infor- 
mation useful  to  the  outlaws  or  himself  personally,  for  Tom  did 
considerable  cow  and  horse  stealing  on  his  own  on  the  side.  Few 
people  realized  all  that  Tom  was  up  to  and  those  who  did  know 
couldn't  do  much  about  it  anyway.  At  least,  they  didn't  do  any- 
thing about  it.  Tom  had  many  interests  besides  his  association 
with  the  Wild  Bunch  and  it  was  most  difficult  to  pin  anything 
definite  on  him. 

Tom  was  blue-eyed  and  had  a  beautiful  black  bushy  mustache 
and  he  "talked  nice",  having  great  respect  for  the  English  lan- 
guage. Somehow  you  felt  he  could  be  trusted  and  meant  what  he 
said.    He  cowboyed  with  most  of  the  cow  outfits  off  and  on  and 


30  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

while  not  the  friend-maker  Cassidy  was,  still  he  was  well-received 
wherever  he  went.  He  was  a  crack  shot  and  plenty  quick  on  the 
draw,  but  had  one  bad  habit — he  drank  too  much  and  sometimes 
at  the  wrong  time  and  when  inebriated  sometimes  got  kind  of 
ornery  spells  and  was  inchned  to  talk  too  much — talk  about  wrong 
stuff.  Often  he'd  brag  and  belittle  the  human  race  in  general  for 
their  stupidity  and  gullibility.  He'd  tell  how  simple  it  was  hood- 
winking the  people,  and  after  all,  why  not  hoodwink  a  fool? 
Why  couldn't  he  get  smart  and  then  you  wouldn't  be  tempted  to 
steal  from  him,  etc.  Besides  all  this,  Tom  loved  to  fight,  gun  fight 
or  fist  fight,  it  didn't  matter  in  the  least  which.  And  he  didn't 
fight  because  he  was  mean,  just  the  Irish  in  him  probably,  he 
thoroughly  loved  to  fight.  He  wasn't  even  particular  whether  he 
won  or  not,  that  is,  in  fist  fights.  He  was  too  clever  to  ever  get 
caught  in  an  unfavorable  gun  fight  and  he  never  got  drunk  when 
something  serious  was  in  the  air  needing  "gun-settlement". 

Tom  and  John  Nolan  started  up  the  first  saloon  in  Kaycee  (not 
a  town  then )  located  just  north  of  the  river  on  the  west  side  of  the 
road.  John  Nolan,  a  hard-working  homesteader  and  owner  of  the 
KC  ranch  (more  about  this  later),  was  a  big,  husky,  square- 
shouldered,  sandy-complexioned,  red-faced  Irishman  who  was  con- 
sidered a  goot  citizen,  even  if  he  did  carry  on  rustling  and  outlaw 
operations  on  the  side.  John  once  said  about  himself,  "I've  been 
a  thief  all  my  life  and  guess  I  always  will  be".  When  old  Pete 
Griffin-'',  who  had  no  family  and  a  delightful  sense  of  humor,  died 
he  left  to  John  Nolan  all  his  worldly  possessions,  which  probably 
weren't  very  extensive,  because  he  said,  "John  was  the  most  suc- 
cessful thief  on  Powder  River."  Nolan  wasn't  mean  or  cruel,  he 
didn't  kill  valuable  cows  (like  some  of  the  others  did)  to  get  the 
calves.  He  just  had  an  eye  for  business,  especially  John  Nolan's 
business,  whatever  its  nature.  He  could  see  easy  money  in  the 
saloon  and  certainly  there  was  little  expense-of-ownership  in  the 
venture,  for  all  the  old-timers  were  vehement  in  describing  the 
"vileness'  of  the  "rot-gut  brand  of  whiskey"  sold  there. 

The  saloon  gave  Tom  O'Day  his  chance  for  the  fighting  he 
loved,  principally  with  a  brawny  NH  cowboy;  they  fought  every 
time  they  met.  It  became  an  institution,  like  4th  of  July  celebra- 
tions and  horse-racing.  After  much  imbibing  and  argumentation 
Tom  and  the  NH  fellow  would  go  out  in  the  road  in  front  of  the 
saloon.  Proceeding  with  much  elaboration  and  the  utmost  delib- 
eration, each  man  removed  his  coat,  his  vest,  his  gunbelt  and  last 
of  all  his  hat,  the  coats  and  vests  being  carefully  and  neatly  folded 
and  laid  on  the  ground  beside  a  sagebrush.  Then  after  much 
flourishing  of  fists  and  much  prancing  of  booted-feet,  the  fight  was 


5.  Pete  came  to  the  Powder  River  country  as  gardner  for  Plunkett  and 
Roche  at  the  NH  ranch. 


THE  HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  31 

on,  and  it  went  on,  and  on,  until  the  men  were  done  up.  They 
were  so  of  a  size  it  invariably  ended  the  way  it  began.  Bloody 
and  "black-eyed",  spitting  and  gulping  for  wind,  they'd  shake 
hands  and  thump  each  other  on  the  back.  And  after  putting  on 
gunbelts,  vests,  coats  and  hats  (very  ceremoniously,  like  a  couple 
of  Indian  chiefs)  they'd  return  to  the  saloon  the  best  of  pals  and 
have  drinks  set  up  for  the  crowd.  It  seemed  they  had  to  get 
"this  fight"  out  of  their  systems  every  time  they  set  eyes  on  each 
other.  It  always  began  the  same  and  ended  the  same;  the  pro- 
cedure never  varied,  it  was  completely  memorized  and  it  had 
become  a  sort  of  ritual.  The  only  deviation  was  the  thing  they 
began  arguing  about — it  might  be  a  girl  in  a  dance-hall,  maybe  it 
was  about  a  horse,  or  a  fancied  insult  to  a  friend  or  maybe  about 
nothing  at  all  that  could  be  seen  or  heard.  Folks  thought  surely 
this  fierce  having-to-get-at-each-othen  would  some  day  end  up  with 
a  killing  match,  but  it  never  did.  Lookers-on  liked  it  the  way  it 
was,  for  it  provided  excitement  of  the  kind  so  craved  in  those  days. 
They  thought  it  too  bad  Tom  O'Day  didn't  stay  around  longer,  but 
he  didn't;  he  was  a  busy  man — here  today,  someplace  far-away 
tomorrow. 

Besides  the  Nolan  and  O'Day  saloon  on  Powder  River,  the 
outlaws  had  other  favorite  drinking  and  carousing  places.  One 
thing  particularly  to  be  remembered  in  their  favor  was  the  fact 
that  they  left  their  drinking  and  carousing  right  where  they  found 
it.  They  didn't  mix  it  with  or  carry  it  over  into  their  business 
deals.  They  drank  when  they  drank  and  worked  when  they 
worked. 

One  drinking  place  was  the  Zindel  saloon  in  Buffalo,  which 
at  that  time  was  considered  the  finest  this  side  of  Cheyenne.  Mr. 
Zindel  carried  on  ranching  operations  on  the  side  in  the  Powder 
River  country,  first  on  North  Fork  (later  Donaldson's  Ranch  and 
now  part  of  the  Crow  Gordon  outfit)  and  later  on  he  had  a  place 
on  the  Middle  Fork  above  Kaycee  (now  a  part  of  the  Eldon  Keith 
holdings.  This  place  was  also  at  one  time  owned  by  George 
Peterson).  It  is  thought  Mr.  Zindel's  ranch  house  was  the  first 
shingled  house  in  Johnson  County. 

Mr.  Zindel  was  tall,  rather  heavy-set,  very  dark-complexioned 
and  was  unusually  big-eyed;  he  had  a  sort  of  spread-out  nose, 
wide  at  the  nostrils  which  didn't  at  all  mar  the  looks  of  the  man, 
however.  He  was  always  immaculately  and  flashily  dressed  and 
wore  an  enormous  diamond  ring  on  his  cigar-holding  hand.  One 
never  forgot  the  diamond,  the  long  black  cigar  and  the  derby  hat 
he  usually  wore.  He  was  a  very  imposing  sort  of  person;  his  big, 
black,  round  eyes  were  constantly  rolling  here  and  there  missing 
nothing  that  went  on.  Those  eyes  seemed  to  glance  off  people 
and  things,  always  moving,  never  taking  a  good  long  look,  just 
moving,  like  the  cigar  he  twirled  with  diamonded  hand.  In  all 
fairness  it  must  be  stated  that  Mr.  Zindel  was  always  a  gentleman 


32  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  ran  a  very  fine  saloon'',  clean  and  orderly.  There  were 
sleeping  rooms  on  the  floor  above  the  saloon  to  be  had  with  or 
without  "girls".  The  covered  stairway  is  still  there  at  the  back  of 
the  building  where  the  girls  from  "Mag  Jesses'  Emporium"  could 
quietly  and  unobtrusively  enter  the  rooms  upon  call.  They  were 
well-behaved  and  "perfect  ladies"  when  in  public  and  did  not 
mingle  with  the  men  in  the  saloon.  Zindel's  place  was  well 
managed  and  outwardly  respectable. 

Not  so  were  the  places  up  on  the  mountain  west  of  the  Hole- 
in-the-Wall.  At  Cheevers  Flats  (see  map)  a  fellow  by  the  name 
of  Davis  ran  a  saloon  and  gambling  and  prostitution  place.  One 
old-timer  said,  "It  was  a  hard,  tough  place — a  horrible  place. 
Women  of  loose  character  came  and  stayed  awhile  and  would  go. 
Different  ones  coming  and  going  all  the  time." 

Mr.  Cheevers  had  a  store  and  eating  house  of  sorts,  but  there 
were  no  extra  sleeping  quarters.  All  overnight  transients  had  to 
sleep  in  their  own  bedrolls  under  the  stars  in  the  big  open  spaces. 

A  fellow  by  the  name  of  O.  A.  Parker  had  a  blacksmith  shop 
there  in  the  summer  time.  (He  blacksmithed  at  33-Mile  and  also 
at  Kaycee  later). 

O.  A.  was  a  very  dark-complexioned  man  and  the  things  most 
easily  remembered  about  him  were  his  straight  black  hair  which 
hung  slightly  over  his  forehead  and  the  huge-muscled  arms  which 
seemed  far  too  heavy  to  be  on  so  slight  a  man  (for  physically 
Parker  looked  small  compared  to  the  big  swarthy  Texans  whose 
horses  he  shod  and  whose  running  irons  he  made ) .  Parker  stood 
rather  stoop-shouldered  and  turned  his  whole  head  up  as  he 
looked  at  you  through  straggles  of  hair.  But  whatever  needed  to 
be  done  to  keep  horses  on  the  trail,  Parker  could  do.  It  was 
amazing  what  could  be  done  with  a  piece  of  hot  iron  and  a 
hammer.'^ 

These  early-day  blacksmiths,  like  the  women  and  horses,  have 
been  overlooked,  too,  when  honors  were  passed  around.  Every 
little  road  ranch  had  its  blacksmith  shop  as  well  as  its  saloon. 
Every  stage  stop  had  its  blacksmith  shop,  even  if  off  in  some 
God-forsaken  place  in  the  midst  of  nowhere.  The  blacksmith  was 
an  important  man  to  the  outlaws  for  it  was  he  who  made  their 
"outlaw  horseshoes",  a  very  clever  device  used  to  throw  pursuers 


6.  Present  site  of  Rainbow  Cafe. 

7.  It  is  worth  anyone's  time  to  see  the  early-day  blacksmith-made  items 
in  the  Gatchell  Museum  in  Buffalo.  Few  people  today  realize  what  mir- 
acles of  workmanship  were  performed  by  these  blacksmiths.  In  1898,  a 
Bill  Babcock,  working  in  the  Hogerson  blacksmith  shop  in  Buffalo,  mounted 
an  arrow-head  in  pure  gold  for  a  stick-pin  for  a  Mr.  Brown  (whose  son, 
Clyde,  now  lives  in  Nebraska).  It  is  very  delicately  and  beautifully  made. 
Mr.  Babcock  had  been  a  jeweler  in  his  younger  days  and  was  indeed  a 
workman  of  rare  ability. 


THE  HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  33 

off  the  track.  One  minute  the  trail  showed  the  tracks  of  a  sharp- 
shod  horse  and  all  of  a  sudden  the  horse  tracks  showed  bare- 
footed, making  a  man  think  he'd  gotten  careless  and  lost  the  right 
trail.  While  he  was  deliberating  and  trying  to  figure  out  where 
he'd  "gone  to  sleep"  the  outlaw  had  that  Httle  extra  time  he  needed 
to  get  away.  These  horseshoes  were  not  nailed  to  the  hoof,  but 
were  fastened  on  by  means  of  a  screw  clamp.  They  could  easily 
be  carried  along  with  a  running  iron  and  slipped  on  and  off  a 
horse's  feet  as  the  need  arose*^ 

Many  exciting  incidents,  some  good  and  some  bad,  happensd  at 
Cheevers  Flats  and  will  be  told  later.  Even  rougher  and  more 
obscene  were  the  "goings-on"  on  Shankersville — a  road  ranch 
farther  to  the  south,  (see  map)  Fortunately  its  life  of  iniquity 
was  brief.  It  died  almost  overnight  and  left  absolutely  nothing 
of  itself  to  be  recorded  but  the  rock  foundations  of  the  building 
which  once  stood  there.  No  one  now  has  one  single  thing  to  say 
about  Shankersville,  even  those  who  can  rember  being  told,  so  the 
only  conclusion  to  be  drawn  in  regard  to  it  is  that  either  nothing 
too  important  happened  there,  or  no  one  wishes  to  say  what  did 
happen.  All  that  is  known  is  that  it  was  a  stopping  place  on  the 
Outlaw  Trail. 

Another  stopping  place  was  Baker's  Cabin,  about  15  miles 
south  of  Ed  Houk's.  It  was  located  at  the  junction  of  the  Barnum 
and  Arminto  and  the  mountain  road  which  went  over  the  southern 
end  of  the  slope  and  led  to  Cheevers  Flat,  etc.  on  top.  Baker's 
Cabin  was  a  road  ranch  of  sorts  and,  like  Houk's  and  Barnum,  a 
post  office  and  stage-stop  and  was  considered  a  respectable  place 
even  if  girls,  gambling  and  drinking  were  side  line  attractions. 

Many  were  the  men  in  and  out  of  the  red  wall  country.  We 
get  a  glimpse  even  of  George  Shanton,  who  later  became  quite  a 
popular  figure  as  one  of  Roosevelt's  Rough  Riders  and  U.  S 
deputy  marshal.  He  had  a  most  romantic  career  as  a  law- 
enforcing  officer,  rounding  up  the  Herrin  Gang  in  Illinois.  George 
got  his  start  as  a  cowboy  in  the  Hole-in-the-Wall.  Born  in  Rome, 
New  York,  he  came  to  Wyoming  and  stayed  until  he  was  twenty 
years  old,  hobnobbing  with  the  outlaws  and  riding  the  range, 
learning  about  broncs  and  guns  and  bad  men.  He  was  an  inter- 
esting person  and  was  described  thus  in  a  Kansas  City  newspaper 
clipping  written  about  the  same  time  the  Johnson  County  Invasion 
was  headlined,  "Shanton  was  over  six  feet  tall  and  as  straight 
as  one  of  Geronimo's  Apache  bucks.  He  was  solid,  yet  slender, 
all  steel-springs  and  rawhide  and  hard  rubber.  His  eyes  were  like 
blue  ice  and  about  as  hard  when  his  dander  was  up.  He  had  a 
good  chunk  of  a  nose,  forceful  and  generous,  and  a  humorous 


8.  A  pair  of  these  horse  shoes  are  in  the  Gatchell  Museum.    Many  were 
found  in  cabins  and  places  used  by  outlaws  and  rustlers. 


^    t:iBRARTS 

OF  THl 


UNIVERSITY  OF  WYOMING 


34  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

mouth  that  could  snap  shut  Hke  a  bear  trap.     While  all  tempered- 
steel  from  head  to  heel,  he  was  also  very  gentle  and  gallant." 

Old  Eagle  Breast  was  a  queer  character  who  hung  out  at  Cas- 
sidy's  on  Blue  Creek.  He  was  a  big  old  Texan  with  an  eagle 
tatooed  on  his  chest  (hence  the  nickname).  He  had  very  dark, 
piercing  eyes  that  could  easily  have  belonged  to  the  eagle  on  his 
breast.  He  was  very  close-mouthed,  more  so  than  seemed  neces- 
sary or  normal  for  any  kind  of  man.  All  that  was  actually  known 
about  him  was  that  he  was  "an  all-fired  good  cow  hand". 

The  famous  Teton  Jackson  also  put  in  an  occasional  appearance 
in  the  earliest  outlaw  times.  According  to  Robert  David  in 
Malcolm  Campbell,  Sheriff,  he  was  the  head  of  a  band  of  300 
horse-thieving  outlaws  from  the  Jackson  Hole  and  over  here  prob- 
ably fixing  up  some  horse-swapping  deal  with  Sang  Thompson  or 
Curry.  Teton  was  a  giant  of  a  man,  six  foot  two  inches,  and 
weighed  around  300  pounds.  He  was  big  and  ferocious  looking 
enough  to  be  a  "plum  dangerous  bad  man".  He  had  a  frowzly 
head  of  wiry  red  hair  and  a  red  scraggly  beard  with  little  black 
eyes  in  between,  which  mostly  got  lost  in  all  the  hair.  He'd  served 
as  a  scout  with  General  Crook  in  1876  against  the  Indians  and 
knew  every  last  nook  and  cranny  of  this  country. 

Another  fellow  hanging  around  Blue  Creek  and  the  Bar  C  a  lot 
was  "Black  Henry"  Smith.  He  was  a  bad  man  through  and 
through,  so  bad  that  no  outlaw  gang  wanted  him  around.  In 
1889  a  Russell  from  Texas  was  cow  foreman  for  the  Bar  C.  Russell 
and  Black  Henry  had  known  each  other  in  Texas  so  when  Black 
Henry  drifted  up  Wyoming  way  he  naturally  wound  up  at  the 
Bar  C  looking  for  a  job.  But  he  wouldn't  stay  on  a  job  long.  He 
didn't  take  to  work  much,  only  off  and  on,  when  he  needed  no 
alibi.  He  just  couldn't  stick  to  honest  work.  He  had  the  southern- 
ers' charm  of  personality  and  manner  and  spoke  Spanish  very  well. 
He  was  dark,  long-nosed,  and  tall,  so  tall  in  fact  that  he  had  to 
lean  down  to  talk  to  people.  His  black  hair  was  very  straight  and 
inclined  to  stick  out  all  over  his  head.  He  wore  unusually  long 
and  high  heeled  boots  with  faded  overalls  tucked  in  their  tops. 
His  coat  appeared  too  small,  and  his  large  hands  dangled  out  of 
the  sleeves  like  a  tramp's.  His  voice,  though,  was  most  unusual, 
a  perfect  complement  to  the  evilness  inside  him.  It  was  unpleas- 
antly rasping  and  low-pitched,  not  soft,  just  low.  His  eyes  were 
the  never-to-be-forgotten  part  of  him;  they  were  yellow  like  a 
coyotes,  like  clear  amber,  large  and  piercing,  bad  eyes,  absolutely 
fearless,  shrewd  and  treacherous,  and  cold,  ice  cold,  steel-cold. 
His  mouth  was  hidden  under  a  big  mustache,  which  was  undoubt- 
edly a  good  thing  as  it  never  would  have  been  noticed  anyway; 
with  those  evil  eyes  whatever  kind  of  a  mouth  he  had,  good  or  bad, 
would  not  have  mattered  in  the  least.  An  old-timer  described  him 
as  follows:  "Black  Henry  didn't  care  nuthin'  about  human  life — 
he  was  run  out  of  Texas  and  was  plenty  bad.     He  was  handsome 


THE  HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  35 

in  an  evil  sort  of  way  and  a  great  entertainer.  He  could  talk 
anybody  out  of  anything  and  was  plain  smart.  If  he'd  turned  his 
talents  to  honest  pursuits  he  could  have  gone  far,  but  he  never 
did".  Black  Henry  was  no  half  and  half  person,  he  was  all  bad 
without  any  scruples  whatever  and  without  affection  for  a  living 
soul — not  even  a  horse  or  any  animal.  His  face,  his  voice,  his 
every  movement  showed  cruelty,  and  yet  he  visited  around  the 
various  ranches  as  did  others  and  no  one  was  afraid  of  him." 

The  first  time  Black  Henry  was  heard  of  in  northern  Wyoming 
was  once  when  Charles  Fischer's'^  father  was  freighting  between 
Fort  Fetterman  and  Medicine  Bow.  It  was  a  bad  outlaw  time. 
The  stage  coaches  were  being  held  up  to  such  an  extent  that  at  this 
particular  time  it  was  decided  to  send  the  government  pay  money 
to  Fort  Fetterman  by  the  freight  string,  thinking  it  would  have  a 
better  chance  of  getting  through  thisVay  than  by  stagecoach,  the 
way  it  was  usually  sent.  Fischer  and  his  boy  were  driving  the 
string  alone  and  it  seemed  like  taking  a  mighty  big  chance  of 
getting  killed  taking  that  money,  but  men  in  those  days  took 
chances;  they  had  no  chocie,  they  had  to.  They  finally  hit  upon 
the  idea  of  hiding  the  $4000  of  government  money  in  baking 
powder  cans  and  sacks  of  flour,  which  were  opened  with  a  ladle 
inside  as  if  being  used.  They  started  out  finally,  feeling  plenty 
apprehensive,  and  got  along  fine  until  about  half  way  to  Fort 
Fetterman;  when  topping  a  little  hill  they  came  face  to  face  with 
hold-up  men,  who  stopped  the  mules.  Several  then  proceeded  to 
go  through  the  wagons  while  others  on  horseback  stood  off  a  ways 
pointing  guns  at  the  man  and  the  boy.  The  men  were  very  polite 
about  all  this,  didn't  damage  a  single  thing,  not  one,  and  failing 
to  find  the  expected  and  wanted  strongbox,  motioned  Fischer  on. 
These  outlaws  were  the  James  Brothers  and  with  them  were  Dutch 
Charlie  (whom  I  know  nothing  about),  Big  Nose  George,  Black 
Henry  Smith  and  Arapahoe  Brown. 

Black  Henry  was  plenty  lucky  all  along  the  line  getting  away 
from  the  law,  especially  after  he  started  hiding  out  in  the  Barnum 
country.  Fortunately  there  were  few  like  him.  He,  like  Big  Nose 
George,  was  a  lone  wolf,  mostly  working  alone  with  extremely 
cruel  methods,  brutal  and  cold-blooded. 

Another  very  interesting,  as  well  as  very  dangerous,  man  who 
went  in  and  out  of  the  Hole  was  Arapahoe  Brown,  who  later 
became  a  respected  (this  is  a  controversial  matter)  citizen  of 
Buffalo.  He  was  an  odd  mixture  of  a  man:  "a  fellow  you  didn't 
want  to  fool  with";  "just  like  a  sage-chicken — coulda'  been  born 
any  place";  the  fellow  with  a  lot  of  friends  and  a  lot  of  enemies; 


9.  Charles  Fischer's  family  was  one  of  the  first  in  Johnson  County. 
Charles,  now  an  old  man,  still  lives  on  a  ranch  on  French  Creek  northwest 
of  Buffalo. 


36 


ANNALS  QF  WYOMING 


a  fellow  who  could  compose  beautiful  lines  of  poetry  to  a  lady 
friend  and  at  the  same  time  plot  the  extinction  of  a  man  whose 
land  he  wanted. 

(To  be  continued) 


Oregon  Zrail  Zrek  ^o.  Sk 

Compiled  by 

Maurine  Carley,  Trek  Historian 

September  11,  1955 

75  participants 30  cars 

OFFICERS 

Col.  W.  R.  Bradley  of  Hiway  Patrol....  Safety  Officer 

Gen.  R.  L.  Esmay ....^Commander  of  Military 

Escort 

Maj.  Henry  Lloyd Registrar 

Col.  A.  R.  Boyack.... Chaplain 

Maurine  Carley Historian 

Joe  Bagley Wagon  Boss 

Lyle  Hildebrand Assistant  Wagon  Boss 

Jim  Carpenter. Assistant  Wagon  Boss 

Tom  Sun Assistant  Wagon  Boss 

George  Christopulos Photographer 

Elva  Myers Sale  of  Treks  &  Pioneer 

Memberships 

Note :  Numbers  preceding  "M"  indicate  miles  north  and  west  from 
where  the  south  branch  of  the  main  emigrant  road  enters 
what  is  now  Wyoming.  Ft.  Laramie  is  33  M.,  Ft.  Casper 
153  M.,  the  Tom  Sun  Ranch  212  M.,  and  the  6th  crossing 
of  the  Sweetwater  is  269  M. 

The  Crown  maps,  by  A.  B.  Hulbert,  which  depict  the  entire 
Oregon  Trail  in  some  detail,  show  the  main  road  branching  south- 
east between  the  Ice  Slough  (where  the  last  Trek  ended)  and  the 
6th  Crossing  of  the  Sweetwater.  It  stays  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river  and  joins  the  road  which  we  consider  to  be  the  main  trail 
at  Oregon  Slough  across  the  river  from  the  Burnt  Ranch.  We 
know  that  there  is  a  branch  of  the  old  road  here,  but  in  any  event, 
the  Pony  Express  and  Stage  Lines  traveled  our  route  and  the 
telegraph  line  paralleled  it. 

8:45  A.M.  The  party  assembled  at  the  Filling  Station  just 
west  of  the  bridge  across  the  Sweetwater  River  on  the  Lander- 
Rawlins  Highway. 

Prayer  by  Colonel  Boyack 

Our  Father  Who  Art  in  Heaven  — 

In  the  quiet  of  this  peaceful  Sabbath  morning,  and  in  these 
surroundings  made  sacred  by  the  historic  events  of  the  past,  we 


^e^Tt  //,  /9SS 


/^iSf-O^iesn 


,;^* 


«-■*■ 


/■ 


,.^S>«Pxf»«*-  ■ 


f/&je^  iiin»S*^'^ 


is-? 


OREGON  TRAIL  TREK  NO.  SIX  39 

give  thanks  to  Thee.  We  thank  Thee  for  our  homes  and  loved 
ones,  for  citizenship  in  our  beloved  America,  for  the  companion- 
ship of  each  other,  for  an  opportunity  to  pay  homage  to  the 
Pioneers. 

We  pray  Thy  blessings  upon  this  trek  this  day.  May  we  travel 
in  peace  and  safety.  May  we  catch  some  little  of  the  spirit,  cour- 
age and  fortitude  of  those  who  made  famous  this  pathway  to  the 
West. 

We  ask  Thy  blessings  upon  those  who  have  devoted  unselfishly 
of  their  time  and  efforts  to  mark  accurately  the  Trail  of  the 
Pioneers.  May  we  ever  memorialize,  in  our  hearts  and  in  suitable 
monuments  and  dedications,  the  heroic  efforts  of  those  whose 
pathway  we  shall  this  day  follow.  We  pray  for  the  worthiness 
to  follow  in  their  steps. 

Inasmuch  as  along  the  way  we  shall  pass  the  final  resting  places 
of  many  who  in  utter  weariness  lay  down  for  their  last  sleep,  we 
pray  that  peace  shall  be  theirs,  and  we  re-dedicate  to  Thee  these 
numerous  graves,  known  and  unknown,  until  that  day  when  all 
shall  come  forth  to  the  life  that  shall  have  no  end. 

Now  Thy  blessings  we  invoke  upon  us  as  we  journey  forth,  in 
the  name  of  Jesus,  Amen. 

9:00  A.M.  Departed  from  the  Sweetwater  Filling  Station. 
About  V2  mile  west  on  the  Highway  we  crossed  the  north  side 
emigrant  road;  at  2.4  miles  west  we  turned  southwest  on  Yellow- 
stone Sheep  Company  road;  and  at  2  miles  on  this  Sheep  Company 
road  we  crossed  the  north  side  emigrant  road. 

9:20  A.M.  After  three  more  miles  we  halted  at  269  M.  where 
the  main  Emigrant  road  crosses  just  north  of  the  6th  Sweetwater 
Crossing.  From  a  high  bluff  Mr.  Joe  Bagley  pointed  out  the  6th, 
7th,  and  8th  crossings  of  the  Sweetwater. 

Mr.  Joe  Bagley  read  excerpts  from  Gold  Rush,  The  Journals, 
Drawings  and  Other  Papers  of  J.  Goldsborough  Bruff.  (Two  vol- 
ume edition) 

"July  26,  1849  Noon'd  at  'Independence  Rock.'  Camped  at 
'Devil  Gate.' 

July  27  Traveled  19Vi  miles  and  camped  on  Sweet- 

water River. 

July  28  Passed  dry  bed  of  Bitter  Cottonwood  Creek. 

July  29  Proceeded  to  4th  ford  of  Sweetwater  River  and 

also  crossed  'Ice  Springs.'    [This  is  Icy  Slough] 

July  30  Passed  thru  Sweetwater,  very  sinuous  with  bot- 

toms of  good  grass.  River,  and  an  Indian  trail 
runs  thru  a  rugged  gorge.  Left  side  red  and 
ragged. 

July  31  Left  valley  and  ascended  the  high  hill,  dusty, 

the  next  was  very  stony  in  the  ascent  and  re- 
quired care.  Several  other  ridges  passed  over 
—  Crossed  a  creek  bed.    "Strawberry  Creek." 


40  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

August  1  Moved    early    crossed    Sweetwater    and    over 

Sandy  hills  and  plains.  Made  lOVi  miles  and 
Noon'd,  then  moved  on  thru  Pass  to  Pacific 
Springs."^ 

Below  is  a  quote  from  "Critical  Notes  from  Sketches  of  Note- 
book A  of  the  edition  of  Georgia  Willis  Read."-    (Brujj) 

"Fords  of  Sweetwater,  No.  5 — 1  [mile].  Plenty  of  good  grass 
and  willow  bushes.  River  about  three  rods  wide  and  two  feet 
deep."  But  Horn's  "Ford  No.  6,  Sweet  Water:  1  [mile]"  (Guide, 
p.  26)  is  Clayton's  and  Bruff's  5th  ford.  Bruff's  dry  bed  of  a 
stream  is  V4  mile  in,  another  Va  mile  a  hill,  V/i  miles  to  summit; 
and  the  river  in  3V2  miles  more,  with  two  fords  near  together. 
This  follows  Clayton  exactly — too  exactly  for  coincidence.  These 
6th  and  7th  crossings  of  the  Sweetwater  by  Bruff  and  Clayton 
correspond  to  Horn's  fords  number  7  and  8." 

9:25  A.M.  Departed  from  269  M.  on  the  left-hand  road  or 
the  St.  Mary's  Cut-off. 

9:45  A.M.  Arrived  273  M.  at  junction  with  main  road  over 
the  hill,  where  a  branch  crosses  the  Sweetwater  River  (7th  Cross- 
ing) to  recross  it  in  about  V2  mile  (8th  Crossing),  where  the  main 
road  goes  over  another  hill.  Several  trails  converge  at  the  8th 
Crossing. 

10:00  A.M.    Departed  from  273  M.  on  present-day  dirst  road. 

10:10  A.M.  Came  to  273%  M.  where  we  entered  the  old  main 
road.  Continued  on  the  old  road  to  215V2  M.  when  we  detoured 
1/3  mile  to  the  right  around  a  meadow. 

10:30  A.M.  Stopped  at  277  M.  and  looked  at  the  site  of  the 
St.  Mary's  Pony  Express  and  Stage  Station  across  Silver  Creek 
about  100  yards  west  of  the  river  bank. 

Mr.  William  L.  Marion  of  Lander  gave  some  facts  about  St. 
Mary's  Stage  Station. 

"The  site  of  St.  Mary's  Stage  Station,  also  called  Rocky  Ridge 
Station  because  of  the  cliff  near  by,  is  marked  with  a  stone  tablet. 
The  station  was  built  in  1859  by  Russell,  Majors  and  Waddell 
for  the  Pony  Express.  The  riders  loved  to  put  on  impressive  bursts 
of  speed  as  they  passed  the  plodding  ox-teams,  but  they  were 
grateful  for  the  protection  afforded  by  the  wagon  trains  in  areas 
such  as  this,  where  there  were  many  hiding  places  for  Indians. 
Except  during  July,  August,  and  September,  when  most  of  the 
trains  poured  over  the  divide,  the  ride  took  courage.  While  the 
Indians  did  not  dare  attack  well-organized  trains,  lone  riders  were 
targets  for  their  vengeance. 


1.  Page  54  Vol.  I. 

2.  Page  506  Vol.  II. 


OREGON  TRAIL  TREK  NO.  SIX  41 

"When  the  transcontinental  telegraph  line  was  established  in 
1861,  St.  Mary's  was  made  a  depot.  In  May  1865,  while  the  five 
man  garrison  hid  in  an  abandoned  well,  150  Cheyenne  and  Arap- 
ahoe Indians  burned  the  station  and  cut  400  yards  of  telephone 
wire.  When  the  ammunition  in  the  building  exploded,  the  Indians 
fled.  The  station  was  rebuilt,  but  nothing  remains  except  old 
square-headed  nails,  bits  of  pottery,  melted  glass,  and  pieces  of 
telegraph  insulators. 

"Miss  Grace  R.  Hebard  in  the  Bozeman  Trail  wrote  that  this 
old  station  was  located  about  300  miles  from  Ft.  Laramie,  twelve 
miles  below  the  old  town  of  Lewiston,  and  eighteen  miles  from 
the  old  mining  town  of  South  Pass  City.  She  also  wrote  that  it 
never  became  a  station  as  it  was  located  ten  miles  north  of  the 
Oregon  Trail.  Miss  Hebard  was  certainly  wrong  in  this  instance 
as  the  station  played  a  very  important  part  during  the  Pony  Ex- 
press days  as  well  as  during  the  time  of  the  Overland  telegraph. 

"It  was  to  this  station  that  Bill  Cody  made  his  famous  ride.  He 
left  Sweetwater  as  usual  with  the  mail  but  when  he  reached  Split 
Rock,  where  he  was  to  change  horses,  he  found  the  guards  all 
killed,  the  station  burned,  and  the  stock  run  off.  He  went  on  to 
Three  Crossings  where  he  found  the  same  situation  so  he  came  on 
here  only  to  find  this  station  also  completely  destroyed.  From  here 
he  returned  to  Sweetwater  Station,  thus  making  over  a  three 
hundred  mile  ride  in  less  than  twenty-four  hours.  He  was  only 
fifteen  at  the  time." 

1 1 :00  A.M.  Left  St.  Mary's  Station  on  a  detour  to  the  right  for 
about  1/3  of  a  mile  to  re-enter  the  old  road.  St.  Mary's  Spring 
was  pointed  out. 

11:10  A.M.  Arrived  279  M.  where  the  main  old  road  branches 
to  the  northeast  away  from  the  river. 

11:45  A.M.  Arrived  280  M.  on  a  high  ridge  where  the  Hand- 
cart Road  branches  right  to  avoid  Rocky  Ridge.  We  ate  our  lunch 
on  this  dry,  desolate,  high,  rolling  mountain. 

Mrs.  A.  R.  Boyack  gave  the  following  account  at  this  point. 

ROCKY  RIDGE  AND  THE  HANDCART  MIGRATION 

Enroute  over  famed  South  Pass  there  rises  above  the  uneven 
landscape  an  imposing  mound  known  as  Rocky  Ridge.  This  name 
appears  many  times  in  the  annals  of  Western  History,  although 
the  references  to  it  are  very  brief. 

Built  near  to  this  spot  in  1859  was  the  Rocky  Ridge  or  St. 
Mary's  Stage  Station.  The  lush  meadow  grasses  made  it  an  ideal 
camping  site,  where  laboring  oxen  could  be  turned  out  to  graze 
and  rest  from  the  hard  journey.  The  famous  freighting  firm  of 
Russell,  Majors  and  Waddell  used  this  station  advantageously 
during  the  era  when  so  much  merchandise  was  needed  by  the 
troops  at  Camp  Floyd  in  Utah  Territory. 


42  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  trans-continental  telegraph,  put  through  in  1861,  made  this 
place  a  depot  where  messages  of  great  importance  were  flashed 
over  the  wires  during  those  stirring  years  of  the  Civil  War  period 
and  of  the  Indian  uprisings  along  the  eastern  portions  of  the  Old 
Trail. 

Today  we,  the  trekkers  of  1955,  pause  at  the  site  of  Rocky 
Ridge  for  another  reason.  A  novel  method  of  emigration  was 
introduced  between  the  years  of  1856-1860  by  the  Latter-day 
Saint  Church  in  Salt  Lake  City.  It  was  the  Handcart  Emigration 
which  brought  some  three  thousand  souls  to  the  mountain  valleys 
of  Utah. 

The  long,  long  trail  over  which  these  valiant  folk  trudged,  some 
thirteen  hundred  miles  in  length,  stretched  from  the  terminal  of 
the  Rock  Island  Railroad  at  Iowa  City  to  the  Salt  Lake  Valley. 
This  seemingly  endless  pathway  was  indeed  an  obstacle  course  for 
these  Pioneers.  Rain,  mud,  dust,  rocky  roadways,  and  sand  such 
as  we  encountered  in  the  Sweetwater  Valley  last  summer.  Myriads 
of  insects  made  a  chorus  in  the  camps  at  night.  All  of  this  entered 
into  a  day  of  weary  travel. 

As  they  neared  the  South  Pass  region  fatigue  was  in  their  bodies. 
It  was  a  wise  and  prudent  thing,  on  seeing  the  right  of  Rocky 
Ridge,  to  detour  around  it,  if  possible,  for  an  easier  grade.  This 
is  what  the  Handcarters  did. 

A  courageous  and  thrilling  epoch  was  written  into  the  annals  of 
Western  migration  during  the  Handcart  period.  Also  a  sad  chap- 
ter. Two  impressive  memorials  mark  the  brief  era,  one  located 
on  the  highway  west  of  Devil's  Gate  in  Central  Wyoming,  the 
other  one  at  Rock  Creek,  enroute  over  South  Pass.* 

At  these  spots  bronze  plaques  sketch  briefly  a  story  of  rugged 
determination  and  faith  unsurpassed  in  the  history  of  human 
endeavor.  These  valiant  folk  stood  ready  to  give  their  all  for  the 
cause  they  had  espoused,  adding  another  stirring  page  to  the 
already  incomparable  pageant  of  the  Old  Oregon-Mormon-Cali- 
fornia Trail. 

12:30  P.M.  Left  280  M.  and  took  the  right-hand  or  Handcart 
branch  road  around  the  brow  of  the  mountain  to  avoid  the  Rocky 
Ridge  on  the  main  road  higher  up. 

12:50  P.M.  Arrived  at  Radium  Springs  286 Vi  M.  where  we 
re-entered  the  old  emigrant  road.  Looked  around  abandoned 
ranch  buildings  and  drank  from  the  cold  spring. 

1:10  P.M.  Halted  at  288 Vi  M.  opposite  the  Lewiston  townsite 
on  Strawberry  Creek. 


*  For  a  more  detailed  story  of  the  Handcart  Companies  see  the  Annals 
of  Wyoming  October  1957,  pages  179-184. 


OREGON  TRAIL  TREK  NO.  SIX  43 

Jim  Carpenter  told  about  the  old  mining  days  and  the  town  of 
Lewiston. 

"The  first  gold  discovery  west  of  the  Mississippi  River  was  made 
at  South  Pass  in  1842.  An  attempt  was  made  to  mine  the  placers 
in  1847  but  the  party  was  driven  off  by  hostile  Indians.  Another 
party  was  also  driven  off  a  short  time  later.  In  1867  the  Carissa 
mine  was  discovered  and  the  first  commercial  mining  was  done. 
Soon  after  the  placers  around  Atlantic  City  were  opened  up.  Also 
the  mines  at  Yankee  Spring,  Meadow  Gulch,  and  Hamilton,  then 
called  Miner's  Delight,  were  begun.  As  the  Indian  danger  sub- 
sided the  miners  gradually  moved  eastward  down  Little  Beaver, 
Crowsnest,  and  Strawberry  creeks. 

"A  Mr.  Lewis  found  gold  placer  on  Strawberry  Creek  in  the 
spring  of  1876.  By  following  up  the  placer  he  discovered  the 
bullion  lode  from  which  he  took  out  a  small  fortune  during  the 
winter.    A  town  was  started  and  called  Lewiston. 

"During  the  1880's  a  number  of  rich  lodes  were  found.  Among 
them  were  The  Hidden  Hand,  Iron  Duke,  Burr,  Irish  Jew,  Good 
Hope,  Anaconda,  and  Mint.  No  mining  has  been  done  lately. 
The  Lewiston  district  has  closed  down  and  the  town  of  Lewiston 
has  very  nearly  disappeared." 

1:20  P.M.     Left  28 8 1/2  M. 

1:35  P.M.  Paused  at  292  M.  to  point  out  the  old  road,  which 
we  leave  to  our  left.    The  old  Handcart  road  came  in  at  this  point. 

1:45  P.M.  Arrived  at  the  monument  for  the  Willie  Handcart 
Company  on  Rock  Creek,  293  M.  Velma  Linford  gave  a  colorful 
description  of  the  misfortune  of  the  Mormons  at  this  point  in  1856. 

2:10  P.M.  Left  Rock  Creek.  At  294%  M.  we  detoured  south 
to  avoid  crossing  Willow  Creek  to  re-enter  the  old  road  at 
2951/2  M. 

2:45  P.M.    Arrived  300  M.  at  the  location  of  the  Burnt  Ranch. 

Colonel  Boyack  read  the  following  paper  (prepared  by  Lester 
Bagley)  on  the  Burnt  Ranch. 

We  are  now  at  a  point  which  in  later  years  has  been  designated 
as  the  Burnt  Ranch.  Just  how  it  received  this  title  is  not  known  at 
this  time. 

The  first  recorded  statement  that  I  can  find  relative  to  this 
location  refers  to  an  incident  which  occurred  in  the  late  fall  of 
1847  when  Brigham  Young  was  returning  to  winter  quarters.  He 
met  a  large  emigration  party  at  this  point  which  was  known  as  the 
last  or  ninth  crossing  of  the  Sweetwater.  A  feast  of  rejoicing  was 
held  at  that  time,  and  it  was  designated  in  Mormon  diaries  as  the 
"Feast  in  the  Wilderness." 

This  location  has  been  known  as  the  "South  Pass  Station"  while 


44  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

it  was  being  used  as  a  military  post,  as  the  "Burnt  Fork"  following 
the  time  that  it  was  burned,  "Burnt  Ranch"  and  "The  Ninth  Cross- 
ing of  the  Sweetwater."  Much  research  will  have  to  be  made 
before  all  of  the  events  which  occurred  at  this  interesting  location 
will  be  known  to  us. 

It  was  used  as  a  Pony  Express  station,  a  telegraph  station  and  as 
a  stage  station  during  the  period  these  different  enterprises  func- 
tioned through  this  area. 

In  standing  here  at  the  monument  we  can  see  the  Lander  Cut-off 
which  takes  off  to  the  north.  Across  the  Sweetwater  is  the  famous 
Oregon  Slough  which  is  featured  in  so  many  diaries.  Climbing  the 
hill  a  little  to  the  west  we  can  see  the  road  that  came  out  from  the 
ninth  crossing  of  the  Sweetwater  to  join  the  Oregon  Trail. 

In  1856  Col.  W.  F.  Lander  began  at  this  point  to  run  what  was 
known  as  the  Lander  Cut-off  of  the  Oregon  Trail.  The  trail  leav- 
ing this  point  takes  a  more  northwesterly  direction  than  any  of  the 
previous  trails  and  goes  from  here  through  the  Big  Piney  country, 
the  Star  Valley  country,  and  over  to  Fort  Hall.  This  trail  cuts 
off  about  200  miles  from  the  previously-used  trails. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  this  road  building  project  under  Col. 
Lander  received  one  of  the  early  appropriations  for  the  expenditure 
of  public  money  on  roads  in  the  West.  When  this  appropriation 
was  passed  by  Congress,  the  statement  was  made  on  the  floor  by  a 
Congressman  that  it  was  necessary  to  secure  the  road  cutting 
north  of  Utah  in  order  to  avoid  contact  with  the  Mormon  colonies 
in  Salt  Lake.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  a  large  part  of  the 
civilian  employees  on  this  project  were  recruited  from  the  Mormon 
people  around  Salt  Lake. 

I  have  traveled  every  part  of  this  Lander  Cut-off  and  it  seemed 
to  be  the  feeling  that  any  place  where  four  mules  could  drag  an 
army  wagon  was  a  suitable  grade. 

The  Lander  Cut-off  was  built  from  1857  to  1859,  and  it  is 
estimated  by  Col.  Lander  that  over  9,000  emigrants  passed  over 
this  trail  in  1 859,  the  first  year  the  road  was  opened. 

In  this  same  year  Russell,  Majors  and  Waddell,  the  famous 
freight  people,  established  a  freight  station  at  this  location.  We 
know  that  it  was  garrisoned  in  1 862  by  the  Eleventh  Ohio  Cavalry. 

We  are  advised  that  the  Burnt  Ranch  or  Burnt  Fork  was  burned 
twice,  but  the  dates  of  these  burnings  are  not  known  to  me  at  this 
time.  It  is  generally  assumed,  however,  that  the  military  post  was 
burned  by  Indians  shortly  after  it  was  abandoned. 

It  has  been  over  forty  years  since  I  first  visited  this  location.  At 
that  time  there  were  many  graves  in  the  area.  I  trust  that  as  we 
read  more  and  as  other  diaries  are  made  available  additional  infor- 
mation about  the  rich  history  of  this  area  will  be  revealed. 

3:10  P.M.    Left  Burnt  Ranch  and  forded  the  Sweetwater. 

4:00  P.M.    Arrived  310  M.  at  South  Pass. 


OREGON  TRAIL  TREK  NO.  SIX  45 

Mrs.  Hazel  Noble  Boyack  read  this  excellent  paper  on  the 
famed  portal  to  the  early  west — South  Pass. 

South  Pass — a  storied  strip  of  high  country  nestling  at  the  south- 
ern tip  of  the  majestic  Wind  River  Range  in  central  Wyoming. 
South  Pass — of  rugged  terrain,  covered  with  sage  and  greasewood, 
its  soil  tempered  against  the  plough.  The  discovery  of  the  Pass 
was  a  peak  upon  the  map  of  human  events  and  hastened  one  of 
the  greatest  mass  migrations  and  constructive  conquests  of  a  terri- 
tory in  all  the  proud  annals  of  history. 

As  an  important  segment  of  the  once  famous  Oregon  Trail, 
South  Pass  seemed  designed  as  a  gateway  through  the  heart  of  the 
mighty  Rockies,  a  portal  through  whicli  might  be  admitted  those 
early  explorers,  fur-clad  traders  and  trappers,  home  seekers — and 
a  chosen  people,  seeking  to  establish  a  New  Zion  in  the  heart  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Along  the  route  that  marked  this  famous  roadway  was  witnessed 
the  stirring  pageantry  of  early  Western  America,  when  an  approxi- 
mated half  million  Americans,  eager  and  adventurous,  channeled 
through  famous  South  Pass  to  reclaim  the  virgin  West  and  pre- 
empt America's  right  to  those  vast  and  verdant  regions  that 
reached  to  Pacific  shores. 

Though  httle  known  to  modern  America  on  wheels,  the  area, 
nevertheless,  represents  a  vital  fragment  of  mid-century  America. 
To  stand  upon  the  crest  of  this  historic  Pass,  one  feels  the 
consciousness  of  the  passing  of  a  hundred  years,  because  written 
into  those  few  miles  that  extend  from  the  upper  valley  of  the 
Sweetwater,  across  the  ridge  of  the  Rockies  into  the  valley  of  the 
Green,  lies  the  saga  of  a  tumultuous  past,  underwritten  by  the 
courage  and  faith  of  a  people  who  followed  the  Trails  to  the  West, 
ready  to  give  their  all  for  the  fulfillment  of  a  dream. 

In  the  spring  of  1811  Wilson  Price  Hunt,  representing  the 
Pacific  Fur  Company,  headed  by  that  great  genius  of  the  industry, 
John  Jacob  Astor,  led  a  band  of  overlanders  into  the  West.  Their 
course  of  travel  took  them  over  what  was  known  as  Union  Pass 
in  the  Wind  River  Range,  about  one  hundred  miles  northwest  of 
the  present  South  Pass.  This  party  struggled  up  rugged  canyons 
through  icy  streams  until  the  crest  of  the  Continental  Divide  was 
reached.  Here  the  mighty  Tetons,  capped  with  eternal  snows, 
met  their  gaze.  Their  method  of  travel  had  been  by  canoe, 
horseback,  and  on  foot.  The  thing  of  prime  importance  was  a 
roadway  over  the  Rockies  to  the  West. 

It  took  an  obscure  member  of  the  Hunt  party,  one  Robert 
Stuart,  who,  with  six  others,  left  Fort  Astoria  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Columbia  River  on  June  29,  1812,  to  make  the  unprecedented 
journey  overland  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  This  little  party  was  the 
first  to  trace  a  route  that  could  be  used  by  wagons,  and  a  portion 
of  that  roadway  lay  through  the  South  Pass  region,  so  named 


46  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

because  it  lay  south  of  the  Wind  River  Range.  (The  old  emigrant 
road  over  the  Pass  did  not  follow  the  pathway  of  the  Stuart  Party. 
This  party  veered  to  the  south  and  east  from  Pacific  Springs,  while 
the  old  emigrant  road  kept  to  the  north.)  Robert  Stuart  and  his 
little  band  made  that  fine  contribution  to  early  Americans,  but 
several  years  would  pass  and  other  explorers  would  announce  to 
the  world  the  newly-found  gateway  that  would  open  the  floodgates 
of  a  mighty  migration  that  would  eventually  link  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  shores. 

As  engaging  stories  of  quick  wealth  and  frontier  adventure 
reached  the  ears  of  youthful  Americans,  many  trapping  expeditions 
were  formed,  chief  of  which  was  the  Ashley-Henry  Expedition  of 
1822.  In  this  famous  Fur  Brigade  were  indeed  "enterprising 
young  men",  men  who  would  write  their  names  permanently  on 
the  geography  of  the  great  West.  One,  James  Bridger,  an  eighteen- 
year-old  youth,  became  the  discoverer  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  and 
later  founder  of  old  Fort  Bridger  in  southwestern  Wyoming. 
Etienne  Provot,  one  of  the  first  mountain  men  to  enter  the  wide 
and  easy  way  over  the  Continental  Divide,  is  generally  accorded 
first  place  in  the  discovery  of  that  route  of  travel. 

Other  members  of  the  Ashley  party  to  gain  renown  were: 
Jedediah  Strong  Smith,  a  "Knight  in  buckskin";  putting  equal 
reliance  on  his  Bible  and  gun,  he  became  perhaps  the  greatest 
single  explorer  ever  to  enter  the  West.  It  was  he  who  led  a 
detachment  of  the  Ashley  Party  through  the  famed  South  Pass  in 
March  1824,  thence  into  the  beautiful  Green  River  Valley,  there 
to  reap  a  rich  harvest  in  this  fur  haven  of  the  Rockies.  And  there 
were  William  Sublette  and  Robert  Campbell,  who  later  became 
the  founders  of  old  Fort  Laramie,  in  eastern  Wyoming;  Kit  Carson, 
Thomas  Fitzpatrick,  and  many  others  now  famous  in  Western  lore. 

Year  after  year  the  Ashley  Brigade  returned  to  the  West,  and  in 
1826  took  a  small  cannon  drawn  by  mules  through  South  Pass, 
the  first  vehicle  to  trace  a  dim  outline  of  wheels  on  the  terrain  of 
the  Continental  Divide. 

To  a  doughty  Army  Captain,  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville,  much  credit 
is  due.  He  organized  a  caravan  of  one  hundred  and  ten  men  and 
twenty  wagons  and  started  West  from  Fort  Osage  on  the  Missouri 
River  in  1832.  The  wagons  were  loaded  with  provisions  and 
ammunition,  plus  merchandise,  to  gain  Indian  favor,  and  traversed 
the  South  Pass  Route. 

During  the  early  1830's,  missionaries  were  being  sent  among  the 
Indian  Tribes  of  the  West  in  an  effort  to  Christianize  them.  One 
of  the  noteworthy  parties  was  the  Doctor  Marcus  Whitman  group, 
who  came  West  in  1836.  They  arrived  at  the  crest  of  the  Pass 
on  July  3rd.  The  following  morning,  as  the  first  rays  of  the 
summer  sun  shone  brilliantly  over  the  landscape.  Doctor  Whitman, 
with  a  Bible  in  one  hand  and  an  American  flag  in  the  other,  raised 
his  voice  in  prayer  and  in  the  name  of  God  and  the  United  States, 


OREGON  TRAIL  TREK  NO.  SIX  47 

took  possession  of  that  vast  territory.  The  patriotic  service  was 
closed  by  a  hymn  from  Mrs.  Whitman.  Today,  close  by  the  old 
Trail,  and  in  the  approximated  spot  where  this  ceremony  took 
place,  is  a  monument  to  the  two  women  of  the  party,  Narcissa 
Prentiss  Whitman  and  Eliza  Hart  Spalding,  the  first  white  women 
to  cross  the  South  Pass. 

From  1843,  when  the  first  great  migration  to  Oregon  occurred, 
the  Old  Trail  was  the  scene  of  covered  wagon  trains  of  almost 
unbroken  numbers,  strung  out  across  the  prairie  stretches  like  a 
pearl  necklace. 

Out  of  Winter  Quarters,  in  the  spring  of  1847,  came  the  famous 
Mormon  Vanguard  making  their  memorable  trek  toward  the  Salt 
Lake  Valley.  As  these  Pioneers  neared  the  South  Pass  area,  Wil- 
ford  Woodruff  wrote  in  his  journal  on  June  27,  1847:  "I  was 
quite  astonished  at  the  road  and  the  country  considering  that  we 
were  crossing  what  is  called  the  South  Pass  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. It  was  the  best  road  we  had  had  for  many  days,  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  Wind  River  Range  of  mountains  in  full  view  on 
our  right,  covered  with  eternal  snow,  and  some  snow  banks  ten 
feet  deep  by  the  side  of  the  road,  I  should  have  thought  myself 
traveling  over  the  beautiful  prairies  of  Illinois  or  Missouri." 

As  members  of  the  Mormon  Vanguard  were  returning  to  Winter 
Quarters  in  August  of  1847,  they  met  the  caravan  of  Saints  led  by 
John  Taylor  near  the  upper  crossing  of  the  Sweetwater,  enroute 
over  the  Pass.  In  order  to  do  honor  to  these  Pioneers,  Brother 
Taylor  requested  the  women  of  his  party  to  prepare  a  dinner  for 
them.  Accordingly,  what  was  later  known  as  "the  Feast  in  the 
Wilderness"  was  enjoyed  by  them  in  this  lonely  retreat. 

Elder  B.  H.  Roberts  describes  the  event  as  follows:  "Several 
improvised  tables,  covered  with  snow-white  linen  gave  evidence 
that  a  surprize  was  in  store  for  the  weary  Pioneers.  The  fatted 
calf  was  killed,  game  and  fish  was  had  in  abundance.  Fruit,  jelly 
and  relishes  for  special  occasions  were  brought  out  until  it  was 
really  a  royal  feast."  The  dinner  over,  the  brethren  and  sisters 
spent  the  evening  in  dancing  to  the  merry  strains  of  the  violin, 
and  the  clear  voice  of  the  prompter  directing  the  dancers  through 
mazes  of  quadrilles,  scotch-reels,  french-fours,  and  other  dances 
suitable  to  the  occasion. 

The  high  tide  of  emigration  over  the  Pass  was  reached  when 
word  came  that  gold  had  been  discovered  in  California  in  1848. 
It  is  estimated  that  one  hundred  fifty-five  thousand  people  trekked 
through  that  region  between  1849  and  1851,  bringing  with  them 
more  than  one  hundred  thousand  head  of  livestock. 

In  the  meantime  the  Mormon  migration  to  Utah  kept  the 
historic  pathway  astir  with  life,  the  Pioneer  caravans  sometimes 
traveling  several  columns  abreast  over  the  broad  stretches  of  the 
Pass.  Today  that  broad,  well-beaten  highway  is  still  very  distinct. 
But  pioneer  traffic  could  not  continue  throughout  the  year.    Dur- 


48  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ing  the  late  fall  and  winter  months  the  region  became  a  battle- 
ground of  the  elements.  Biting  winds  laden  with  heavy  snow 
and  below-zero  temperatures  made  it  almost  impossible  for  man 
or  beast  to  survive  the  fury  of  these  mountain  storms. 

It  was  in  one  of  these  swirling  blizzards  along  this  highland 
trail  in  which  the  delayed  Willie  Handcart  Company  was  caught  in 
October,  1856.  They  had  taken  refuge  in  a  small  cove  near  the 
banks  of  Rock  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Sweetwater.  The  stream, 
heavily  lined  with  willows,  offered  but  slight  respite  from  the 
elements.  Here  fifteen  members  of  the  emigrant  party  perished 
from  cold  and  exhaustion.  A  mound  bearing  a  copper  plaque, 
marks  the  spot  where  thirteen  of  these  brave  people  lie  buried. 
Relief  trains,  sent  out  by  President  Brigham  Young,  arrived  none 
too  soon  to  avert  further  deaths  and  disaster  to  the  party.  They 
were  taken  into  the  Salt  Lake  Valley,  and  arrived  November  9, 
1856. 

Johnston's  Army  to  Utah,  approaching  the  Pass  in  the  fall  of 
1857,  met  with  great  difficulty.  The  roadway  up  the  Sweetwater 
Valley  and  over  the  Pass  into  the  Green  River  Valley  was  strewn 
with  the  bodies  of  dead  mules  and  oxen  that  had  perished  from 
cold  and  lack  of  food. 

But  springtime  and  summer  was  a  delightful  season.  It  was  in 
April,  1860,  that  a  daring  and  romantic  enterprise  was  instigated 
by  the  gigantic  freighting  firm  of  Russell,  Majors  and  Waddell. 
The  Pony  Express  took  to  this  great  "Medicine  Road  of  the 
Whites"  in  order  that  mail  might  reach  news-hungry  Americans 
in  the  distant  West.  Along  the  nineteen  hundred  miles  of  highway, 
the  horse  and  rider  raced  against  time,  the  rider  pitting  his  courage 
and  indomitable  will  against  the  elements,  the  darkness,  and  the 
Redmen.  Over  the  South  Pass  Route  Pony  Express  Stations 
had  been  erected,  the  one  at  Pacific  Springs  being  an  important 
stop.  To  the  noise  and  bustle  of  long  emigrant  trains,  the  creaking 
of  stage  coaches,  and  the  grinding  of  heavily  laden  freight  wagons 
was  added  the  rapid  staccato  of  hoof  beats  as  pony  and  rider 
disappeared  like  a  phantom  beyond  the  horizon. 

In  the  mid-1860's  a  rich  discovery  of  gold  quartz  was  made  near 
Willow  Creek,  a  few  miles  north  of  the  Trail.  The  news  spread 
like  prairie  fire  before  the  wind.  Soon  hundreds  of  miners,  with 
their  picks,  shovels,  and  bacon,  swarmed  over  the  sleepy  foothills 
and  plundered  the  good  earth  for  its  treasures — and  it  yielded  well. 
South  Pass  City  mushroomed  into  existence,  as  did  Atlantic  City 
and  Miner's  Delight.  But  the  ultimate  desolation  of  these  little 
hamlets  lay  in  the  very  activity  that  had  given  them  life. 

It  is  not  the  gold  from  South  Pass  City  that  is  remembered 
today,  but  rather  one  of  its  citizens,  a  gifted,  courageous  woman, 
Esther  Hobart  Morris.  It  was  she  who  championed  and  won  the 
cause  of  Woman's  Suffrage  in  Wyoming  Territory.    The  franchise 


OREGON  TRAIL  TREK  NO.  SIX  49 

was  granted  December  10,  1869.  Just  two  months  and  two  days 
later,  on  February  12,  1870,  the  women  of  Utah  were  also 
granted  the  franchise  and  used  this  newly-given  liberty  twice 
before  the  women  of  Wyoming  went  to  the  polls. 

Today  the  South  Pass  region  slumbers  away  amid  the  vibrant 
memories  of  an  historic  past,  the  quiet  present  in  sharp  contrast 
with  the  tumultuous  events  of  yesteryear.  The  same  starry  heavens 
are  indeed  overhead.  Oregon  Buttes,  proud  sentinels  of  the 
region,  rise  against  the  identical  skyline  of  long  ago. 

Neither  the  road  nor  the  landscape  has  changed  greatly  since 
the  eager  Pioneers,  looking  out  from  their  rocking  "Prairie 
Schooners",  surveyed  the  country,  saw  it  tinted  here  and  there 
with  wild  rose,  gentian,  and  columbine,  the  rough  terrtain  adapt- 
able only  for  eternal  pasturage  of  sheep,  antelope  and  sage 
chickens. 

The  deeply  worn  ruts  of  the  Old  Trail  still  endure  and  attest 
to  the  passing  of  an  era  of  pageantry  in  American  History,  and 
era  that  will  not  return  again,  when  South  Pass  was  indeed  a  famed 
portal  to  the  Early  West. 

POEM  TO  THE  PIONEER  WOMEN 
by  Hazel  Noble  Boyack 

We  salute  you!  Women  of  those  early  years. 
Who  struggled  westward  o'er  the  prairie  sod. 
Faithful  to  your  trust,  you  kept. 
Your  courage  high,  sublime  your  faith  in  God. 

With  plodding  caravans  you  led  the  way, 
Unyielding  to  the  heat,  the  dust  and  rain; 
A  frontier  land  demanded  heavy  toll 
Of  you  who  came  to  conquer,  to  reclaim. 

Devoted,  staunch,  unsung  pioneers  you. 
Your  bodies  sorely  taxed  by  heavy  toil. 
Bore,  in  travail,  a  child  along  the  way, 
No  force  your  visioned  destiny  could  foil. 

Where  once  the  sovereign  clumps  of  sage  brush  grew, 
Proud  cities,  highways,  mark  the  course  today, 
Where  hunger,  sickness,  death  stalked  hand  in  hand, 
Church  spire  rise,  their  silent  tributes  pay. 

We  honor  you!     Heroines  of  those  early  years. 
And  humbly  offer  now  the  homage  due, 
For  courage,  strength,  and  faith  to  carry  on. 
We've  reaped  our  cherished  heritage  from  you. 


50  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

5:15  P.M.     Left  South  Pass. 

5:30  P.M.     Arrived  313  M.  at  Pacific  Springs. 

Mrs.  Mary  Hurlburt  Scott  read  a  paper  on  Pacific  Springs. 

Pacific  Springs  was  one  of  the  most  important  spots  on  the 
entire  Oregon-California-Mormon  Trail  from  the  Missouri  River 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  It  was  a  pleasant  place  to  relax  after  cross- 
ing the  highest  elevation,  7550  feet  at  South  Pass. 

It  was  evidently  missed  by  Robert  Stuart  in  1812  on  his  way 
east  as  he  did  not  mention  the  place  in  his  Narratives.-'' 

From  1824,  fur  men — Smith,  Jackson,  Fitzpatrick,  Fontenelle, 
Bridger,  Kit  Carson  and  many  others — passed  Pacific  Springs. 

In  1832  William  Sublette  passed  the  Springs.  Since  1824  he 
had  trapped  and  traveled  the  two  old  Indian  Trails  which  led 
directly  from  the  Sweetwater  to  the  Snake.  Nathaniel  Wyeth 
passed  here  on  his  way  to  the  1834  rendezvous  at  the  mouth  of 
Ham's  Fork. 

When  the  Mormon  vanguard  came  in  1847  they  found  one 
Moses  Harris  waiting  at  Pacific  Springs  to  pilot  Oregon  emigrants 
over  the  short  route  to  Oregon,  or  Sublette's  Cut-off.  (Mormon 
Diary,  June  28,  1847.)  Soon  after  passing  Pacific  Springs  there 
was  a  choice  of  two  trails.  The  one  taken  by  the  Mormons  led 
southwestward.  The  short  or  shorter  road  to  Oregon  led  west 
along  what  was  then  called  the  Sublet  Cut-off.  (Sublette  Cut-off 
is  a  misconception  because  it  was  and  is  the  shortest  route  of  the 
Sublette  Road  link  of  the  original  wagon-traveled  Oregon  Trail.) 

In  1888  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Albert  Bayer  and  party  from  Missouri 
camped  here  at  Pacific  Springs.  Some  time  before,  the  mother  of 
a  husky  baby  boy  was  grieving  uncontrollably  over  the  loss  of 
another  child  and  she  lost  her  milk.  Mrs.  Bayer,  a  frail  young 
mother  of  a  girl  baby  (now  Mrs.  John  Bloom  of  Pinedale)  nursed 
both  babies.  Realizing  that  her  own  child  was  not  getting  suffi- 
cient nourishment,  but  at  the  same  time  demonstrating  the  faith 
of  our  Christian  pioneers,  she  prayed  thus: 

"Dear  Father  in  Heaven,  if  it  is  Thy  will  let  that  overdue  colt 
be  born  so  that  this  boy  can  have  mare's  milk,  and  let  my  dear 
little  Minnie  have  her  own  food." 

In  1891  Joseph  M.  Huston  (Daniel,  Wyoming)  was  a  young 
man  of  1 7  and  was  the  hunter  for  an  Oregon  Trail  emigrant  train 
requiring  5  or  6  antelope  per  day.  In  the  train  was  a  charming 
young  lady  whom  he  admired.  Not  knowing  that  they  would  that 
day  reach  the  junction  of  the  Sublette  and  Lander  roads,  (the 
Burnt  Ranch)   he  went  hunting  as  usual.     Imagine  his  feelings 


3.  See  P.  A.  Rollins,  ed.  The  Discovery  of  the  Oregon  Trail  (Robert 
Stuart's  Narratives  and  Wilson  Price  Hunt's  Diary)  N.Y.,  Charles  Scribner's 
Sons,  1935;  Oregon  Historical  Quarterly,  Vol.  Ill,   1902,  Mar.  pp.  82-104. 


OREGON  TRAIL  TREK  NO.  SIX  51 

when  he  returned  to  his  outfit,  ready  to  take  the  southern  Sublette 
Road  to  learn  that  most  of  the  train,  including  the  charming  young 
lady,  had  taken  the  northern  Lander  Road. 

It  was  good-bye  forever  wtihout  the  sweet  pleasure  of  a  fond 
farewell.  Mr.  Huston  states  that  when  he  reached  Green  River 
at  the  mouth  of  Slate  Creek  there  were  500  wagons  camped  there. 

In  1911  Mary  Hurlburt  Scott,  her  daughter,  Josephine  Irby 
Lester,  and  Mrs.  Bayer  made  a  trip  on  the  mail  stage  from  Lander 
to  Pinedale.  They  stopped  for  a  rest  at  the  postoffice  and  store  in 
Pacific  Springs. 

In  1912  Miss  Hibben  married  Fred  Graham,  a  ranger  at  Snyder 
Basin  Ranger  Station  25  miles  west  of  Big  Piney.  That  year  they 
talked  with  Oregon-bound  emigrants  and  saw  the  last  of  the 
covered  wagons  on  the  old  Trail. 

Following  are  a  couple  of  quotations  expressing  reactions  of 
Oregon  and  California-bound  emigrants  at  Pacific  Springs.  "After 
the  months'  long  trek,  we  are  over  the  divide.  We  are  on  the 
downhill  slope  to  the  Pacific,  to  our  destination,  to  the  promised 
land,  to  our  homeland.    Glory  Be!" 

Julia  Altrocchi,  a  descendant  of  a  Donner  party  member,  in  her 
book,  Snow  Covered  Wagons,  expresses  emigrant  attitude  thus: 
"When  the  Trail  goes  down  the  Western  side,  Boggs,  the  captain 
of  the  train  dashes  up  and  down  the  line  of  teams  shouting,  "Roll 
on!  Roll  on!  We're  over  the  divide.  Roll  on  to  the  Pacific,  boys. 
And  now  a  brook  sings  with  a  western  voice,  pouring  out  of 
Pacific  Springs  down  hill  to  the  Pacific.  Oh!  the  golden  sunset 
side  of  South  Pass!  Oh!  water  running  to  the  Western  Sea! 
Pacific  Springs!    Cheer,  Boys,  Cheer!" 

Following  is  an  interesting  summary  of  Trek  No.  6  by  Frances 
Seely  Webb  and  Edness  Kimball  Willans,  both  of  Casper. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  series  of  Oregon  Trail  Treks 
was  held  Sunday,  September  11,  1955.  Along  much  of  the  trail 
the  fall  scenery  was  beautiful,  the  juniper  in  full  fruit,  its  blue 
berries  gleaming.  Other  shrubs  and  trees  had  on  their  fall  colors 
making  the  drive  more  enjoyable.  In  some  places  the  contrast  was 
noted  as  dry,  dusty,  barren  sections  were  passed.  The  trail  was 
dusty,  rocky,  and  rough,  but  the  same  one  over  which  the  Mor- 
mons pushed  their  handcarts  one  hundred  years  ago. 

At  an  early  stop,  Raymond  Fuller  of  Lander  glanced  down 
beside  the  trail,  to  find  a  perfect  arrowhead  of  white  quartz. 

Jim  Carpenter  of  Atlantic  City  told  of  the  construction  of  the 
handcarts  used  by  the  Mormons.  They  were  made  from  green 
lumber.  This  mistaken  economy  gave  little  trouble  in  the  begin- 
ning, but  as  the  companies  reached  the  dry  western  country  and 
the  lumber  dried  out,  the  carts  became  rickety  and  in  disrepair. 
The  Mormon  booklet  given  to  the  emigrants  as  they  started  West, 
"LDS  Emigrants  Guide  from  Council  Bluffs  to  Great  Salt  Lake" 


52  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

was  by  W.  Clayton,  giving  distances,  water,  mountains,  camping 
places  and  other  travel  information.  Only  one  known  copy  sur- 
vives, in  the  Congressional  Library. 

In  the  mining  district  we  learned  that  Jim  Carpenter,  a  member 
of  the  trek,  hauled  10  tons  of  ore  out  from  the  Hidden  Hand  mine 
and  sold  it  for  $7500.  In  1933  he  panned  $3000  in  twenty  min- 
utes from  the  Iron  Duke  mine.  Willow  Creek  had  been  dredged 
for  eleven  miles  in  a  gold  mining  operation. 

It  was  at  the  Brunt  Ranch  that  Brigham  Young  met  a  large  hand 
cart  company  and  gave  "The  Feast  in  the  Wilderness"  for  the 
starving  people.  It  was  here,  also  that  a  lieutenant  and  thirteen 
men,  left  on  guard,  pilfered  stored  whiskey  and  quarreled.  The 
lieutenant  walked  away,  leaving  the  others  dead.  This  killing  was 
blamed  on  Indians  and  called  a  "massacre,"  a  thing  which  hap- 
pened more  than  once  in  those  days. 

The  final  talk  of  the  trek  was  given  by  Mary  Hurlburt  Scott  at 
Pacific  Springs  where  three  trails,  the  Oregon,  CaUfornia  and 
Mormon  were  one.  Her  story  included  much  human  interest 
material  with  tales  of  people  making  the  early  day  treks. 

The  last  recorded  covered  wagon  trip  over  this  old  trail  was  as 
late  as  1912.  In  this  section,  far  from  railroads  or  regular  roads, 
the  old  trails  were  followed  and  the  covered  wagon  was  the  only 
transportation. 


Washakie  and  Zhe  Shoshoni 

A  Selection  of  Documents  from  the  Records  of  the  Utah 

Superintendency  of  Indian  Affairs. 

Edited  by 

Dale  L.  Morgan 


PART  X— 1867-1869* 

CXXXIV 

Luther  Mann,  Jr.,  Indian  Agent,  to  F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of 

Indian  Affairs,  telegram  dated  July  1,  1867.-^^ 

By  Telegraph  from  Bridger 

Anteroes  band  of  Utes  are  at  this  agency  is  there  an  order  not 
to  sell  them  amunition.  please  inform  me  in  regard  to  this 
matter.  .  .  . 

cxxxv 

Luther  Mann,  Jr.,  Indian  Agent,  to  F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of 
Indian  Affairs,  dated  Fort  Bridger  Agency,  July  8,  1867.-^^ 
Sir 

I  have  the  honor  to  make  the  following  reporte  relative  to  the 
population  individual  Wealth  and  Value  of  the  Furs  and  Skins 
Sold  by  the  Indians  under  my  immediate  controll. 

From  the  best  information  in  my  possession  I  would  place  the 
number  of  Souls  in  this  agency  at  two  thousand  The  relative 
number  of  Either  Sex  I  am  unable  with  any  degree  of  certainty 
to  give  but  can  Safely  Say  that  the  Females  very  largely  pre- 
dominate 

The  number  of  Horses  (For  in  them  con- 
stitute their  Entire  wealth)  I  would  place  the  number  at  Six 
hundred  and  Seventy  five  and  would  fix  their  Value  at  Thirty 
dollars  pr  head  Making  a  total  of  Twenty  thousand  and  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars. 

The  value  of  the  Furs  and  Skins  Sold  by  them  during  the  year 
would  probably  reach  the  Sum  of  Ten  thousand  dollars 

The  above  Estimates  are  made  from  the  most  reliable  informa- 
tion that  could  be  obtained 


*  Part  X  concludes  the  Washakie  and  the  Shoshoni  series. 

261.  Utah  Field  Papers,  1867. 

262.  Ibid. 


54 


ANNALS  OF   WYOMING 


Fort  Bridger  in   1858  from  Frank  Leslies  Illustrated  Newspaper 

This  reporte  may  not  be  in  form  yet  I  hope  it  gives  the  desired 
information  upon  the  Subjects  named  in  your  letter  of  May 
29th  1867.  .  .  . 

CXXXVI 

Luther  Mann,  Jr.,  Indian  Agent,  to  F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of 

Indian  Affairs,  dati:d  Fort  Bridger  Agency, 

July   15,    1867.-"-' 

Sir 

Your  communication  of  June  3^  in  regard  to  the  Mixed  Bands 
of  Indians  who  range  about  tiic  head  waters  of  the  Yellow  Stone 
CJaliton  Madison  Snake  and  Green  Rivers  around  Bannack  and 
Boise  frequently  in  the  Terilory  of  Utah  was  duly  received.  Ac- 
cording to  yoiu-  request  I  have  had  conversations  with  Washakee 
and  other  head  men  of  the  Faslcrn  liands  of  Shoshones  also  with 
Tahgee  the  Chief  o\'  the  Bannacks  and  find  that  there  does  exist 
a  very  large  Band  of  Bannacks  numbering  more  than  One  Hun- 


263.  Transmitted  in  Head  to  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  Aug.  3, 
1H67,  H/32.'>-l867,  having  inadvertently  been  omitted  from  Head's  letter  of 
July  25.  Document  CXXXVI  I;  printed  in:  4()th  Congress,  2nd  Session. 
House  E.u'cittivc  Document  I  (Serial  1326).  Part  II.  p.  189. 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  55 

dred  Lodges.  I  also  find  a  few  Lodges  of  Shoshones  with  them 
There  also  exists  another  Band  of  Tookooreka  or  Sheap  Eaters  a 
branch  of  the  Shoshonees  who  live  almost  Entirely  in  the  Moun- 
tains very  Seldom  visit  the  white  Settlements  the  last  named  Band 
Speak  the  Shoshonee  dialect  the  former  have  a  dialect  of  their 
own.  All  of  these  Indians  are  very  poor  and  require  the  fostering 
hand  of  the  Government.  They  are  very  friendly  and  desire  to 
cultivate  the  most  friendly  relations  with  all  of  whom  they  meet. 
Large  numbers  of  Bannacks  visit  this  agency  every  year  more 
than  fifty  of  their  Lodges  wer  present  at  the  distribution  to  the 
Eastern  Bands  of  Shoshones  of  their  annuities  this  year  I  made 
a  request  of  Washakee  for  them  to  Share  in  the  distribution  of 
their  goods  this  year  but  he  peremtorily  refused  I  also  held  a 
long  conversation  with  the  Chief  Tahgee  he  informed  me  that 
his  Indians  feel  very  much  hurt  to  think  that  the  Great  Father 
had  not  made  them  presents.  Knowing  as  they  did  that  all  the 
Indians  with  whom  they  wer  Surrounded  wer  receiving  goods  every 
year  They  claim  that  They  are  good  Indians  and  that  the  Gov- 
ernment ought  to  in  view  of  the  fact  that  their  country  has  been 
Settled  with  the  whites  give  them  a  fair  compensation  for  their 
loss.  The  Settlement  of  Boise  Beaver  Head  Bannack  and  Viriginia 
City  have  driven  them  to  Seek  for  other  Hunting  grounds  and 
they  are  compelled  to  travel  long  distances  and  that  too  in  an 
enemys  Country  where  they  are  liable  to  loose  their  Horses  the 
only  wealth  they  possess,  they  informed  me  that  they  lost  Sixty 
head  last  winter  I  would  most  earnestly  reccommend  that  Some 
provisions  be  made  for  them  in  the  future.  .  .  . 

CXXXVII 

F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of  Indian  Affairs,  to  N.  G.  Taylor, 

Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  dated  Great  Salt  Lake 

City,  July  25,  1867.264 

Sir 

On  the  17!*^  of  October  last  I  received  from  the  CommF  a  com- 
munication bearing  date  Sep.  24-  enclosing  copy  of  letter  from 
N.  P.  Hill,  to  the  acting  Governor  of  Montana,  relative  to  certain 
bands  of  Bannacks  and  Shoshonees,  and  instructing  to  direct 
Agent  Mann  to  procure  through  Washakee,  all  accessible  informa- 
tion regarding  such  Indians — 

At  the  time  of  the  reception  of  such  instructions  Washakee  and 
all  his  principal  men  had  started  on  their  annual  Buffalo  hunt, 
and  could  not  readily  be  reached.  At  once  on  their  return,  about 
two  months  since,  I  transmitted  to  Agent  Mann  copies  of  the 
correspondence   above  referred  to,   and  have  just  received   his 


264.  H/324-1867.    Printed  in:  Ibid.,  p.  188. 


56  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

report,  which  is  herewith  transmitted  [Document  CXXXVI]. 
Washakee  and  several  hundred  of  his  principal  men  visited  me  a 
few  days  since,  and  I  had  a  conversation  with  them  relative  to  the 
same  subject,  from  which  I  am  satisfied  that  the  Indians  in 
question  are  the  same  band,  usually  known  as  the  "mixed"  or 
"broken  bands  of  Bannacks  and  Shoshonees."  with  whom  the 
late  Gov.  Doty  made  a  Treaty  at  Soda  Springs.  Oct.  14  1863. 
From  the  best  information  I  can  get,  I  judge  their  number  to  be 
about  2500,  of  whom  about  1500  are  Shoshonees,  but  the  balance 
Bannacks.     They  live,  wander  about  together  and  intermarry. 

The  treaty  made  as  above  seems  scarcely  reconcileable  with 
justice  to  the  Shoshonees — Treaties  were  made  July  2'^  and  July 
30'h  1863,  with  the  Eastern  and  North  Western  bands  of  Sho- 
shonees, providing  for  annuities  of  $10,000  and  $5000  respective- 
ly. By  the  Treaty  of  Oct  14,  1863,  at  Soda  Springs  it  is  provided 
that  the  mixed  bands  shall  share  in  the  annuities  of  the  Shoshonees, 
which  in  effect  is  a  reduction  of  the  Shoshonee  annuities  below 
the  amount  agreed  to  be  paid  them,  without  their  consent.-*^-^ 

The  mixed  bands  have  faithfully  observed  their  treaty,  and  I 
invited  last  Fall  a  portion  of  their  number  to  be  present  and  par- 
ticipate in  the  annuities  of  the  N.  W.  Shoshonees — I  have  also 
during  the  past  Quarter  made  them  presents  of  goods  and  pro- 
visions to  the  value  of  about  $2000.  I  suggested  to  Agent  Mann 
to  let  a  portion  of  the  tribe  who  were  with  Washakee  participate 
in  the  E.  Shoshonee  annuities,  but  from  the  report  enclosed, 
Washakee  evidently  and  sensibly  objected  to  such  arrangement — 

In  my  estimate  for  the  coming  year  I  shall  include  an  item  of 
$5000,  as  being  justly  due  the  mixed  Bands  under  treaty  stipula- 
tions, and  trust  such  suggestion  may  be  favorably  considered  by 
yourself  and  by  Congress. 

These  Indians,  to  the  number  of  nearly  2500,  have  been  for  the 
past  3  or  4  months  in  N.  Eastern  Utah,  scattered  along  the  Bear 
river  and  through  Cache  and  Bear  Lake  Valleys — They  spent 
about  seven  or  eight  months  in  each  year  within  this  Superintend- 
ency,  and  the  balance  of  their  time  in  Southern  Idaho,  where  game 
is  more  abundant  during  the  winter  months.  .  .  . 

CXXXVIII 

Luther  Mann,  Jr.,  Indian  Agent,  to  F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of 

Indian  Affairs,  dated  Fort  Bridger  Agency,  Utah 

Territory,  July  29,  1867.-«*' 

Sir:     I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report  relative 


265.  This  treaty  of  Oct.  14,  1863,  in  any  event  was  never  ratified. 

266.  40th  Congress,  2nd  Session,  House  Executive  Document  1   (Serial 
1326)  Part  II,  p.  182-184. 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  57 

to  the  condition  of  the  eastern  band  of  the  Shoshones,  for  the  year 
ending  June  30,  1867: 

Immediately  after  the  distribution  of  their  annuity  goods  last 
year,  they  left  this  agency  for  their  hunting  grounds  in  the 
Popeaugie  and  Wind  river  valleys,  the  only  portion  of  the  country 
claimed  by  them  where  they  can  obtain  buffalo. 

While  there  they  live  well,  and  are  generally  healthy. 

From  the  buffalo  robes  and  other  skins  and  furs  obtained  by 
them  during  the  past  hunting  season,  I  estimate,  from  the  best 
knowledge  I  can  gain,  they  have  realized  some  $10,000,  and  their 
present  comfort  has  been  greatly  increased  by  the  addition  of  a 
large  amount  of  skins  and  furs,  used  for  their  lodges  and  clothing. 

Early  last  spring  the  near  approach  of  hostile  Sioux  and  Chey- 
ennes  compelled  them  to  leave  before  they  could  prepare  their 
usual  supply  of  dried  meat  for  summer  use,  and  upon  their  arrival 
at  the  agency  they  were  almost  destitute  of  provisions. 

I  at  once  commenced  issuing  to  them  the  flour  and  beef  pro- 
cured from  you  by  the  exchange  of  goods,  and  they  were  so  well 
pleased  with  the  exchange  thus  made,  I  would  recommend  that 
$2,000  of  their  annuity  be,  in  the  future,  paid  in  money,  to  be 
used  in  the  purchase  of  beef,  cattle,  and  flour,  to  feed  them  during 
their  stay  at  the  agency. 

These  Indians  have  faithfully  observed  the  stipulations  of  the 
treaty  made  with  them  in  1863,  and  since  my  last  annual  report 
there  has  been  no  departure  from  a  uniform  line  of  good  conduct. 

On  the  8th  of  June,  I  assembled  all  of  the  tribe  within  reach, 
and  made  the  annual  distribution  of  goods,  which  was  perfectly 
satisfactory  to  them,  and  they  have  since  gone  to  the  valley  of 
the  Great  Salt  Lake,  as  is  usual  with  them,  preparatory  to  their 
return  to  their  hunting  grounds  in  the  autumn. 

I  would  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  goods  distributed 
this  summer  were  those  which  arrived  last  year  after  the  departure 
of  the  Indians  from  the  agency,  and  the  goods  intended  for  the 
distribution  of  1867  it  is  probable  will  not  reach  here  until  too 
late  to  be  given  out  before  the  summer  of  1868. 

Their  sanitary  condition  remains  good,  and  there  has  been  but 
little  change  in  their  numbers,  either  from  mortality  or  accessions 
from  other  bands. 

From  careful  inquiry  among  them,  I  estimate  the  present  num- 
ber of  Washakees  tribe  at  about  2,000  souls,  being  an  increase  of 
100  since  my  last  report. 

In  former  reports  I  have  recommended  the  setting  apart  of  a 
reservation  for  the  Shoshones  in  the  valley  of  Wind  river.  For 
various  reasons  I  would  still  urge  the  propriety  of  doing  so. 

The  abundance  of  nutritious  grasses,  in  connection  with  the 
mild  winters,  would  enable  them  to  subsist  their  stock  during  the 
entire  year,  and  situated  in  the  best  game  region  of  the  mountains, 
they  could  furnish  themselves  with  an  ample  supply  of  meat. 


58  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Their  occupancy  of  the  valley,  with  suitable  protection  from 
the  government,  would  prevent  the  raiding  war  parties  of  Sioux 
from  interfering  with  the  development  of  the  mines  just  discovered 
and  being  opened  in  the  vicinity  of  South  Pass,  where,  within  a 
few  days,  a  large  party  of  miners  were  driven  away  by  a  small  band 
of  hostile  Indians,  after  three  or  more  of  their  number  had  been 
inhumanly  murdered. 

The  entire  range  of  country  west  from  the  South  Pass  to  the 
Mormon  settlements  on  Weber  river  is  almost  destitute  of  game, 
and  while  these  friendly  Indians  are  obliged,  during  the  summer 
months,  to  subsist  on  the  small  game  of  this  vast  area  of  sage  brush, 
the  powerful  and  hostile  Sioux  are  roaming  unmolested  over  the 
beautiful  valleys  east  and  north  of  the  Wind  river  chain  of  moun- 
tains, with  grass  and  game  at  their  disposal,  which  enables  them 
to  murder  and  rob  with  impunity  the  soldiers  near  their  garrison, 
the  almost  defenceless  emigrant  crossing  the  plains  in  search  of  a 
new  home,  and  the  hardy  miners  who  are  toiling  to  develop  the 
mineral  resources  which  constitute  the  base  of  our  national  wealth. 

I  would  again  call  your  attention  to  the  mixed  bands  of  Ban- 
nacks  and  Shoshones  that  range  in  the  northern  part  of  Utah  and 
the  southern  portion  of  Montana,  to  whom  I  have  heretofore 
referred. 

Although  holding  themselves  entirely  aloof  from  the  eastern 
bands  of  Shoshones  in  regard  to  their  tribal  arrangements,  they 
do,  for  the  purpose  of  protection,  accompany  each  other  to  their 
hunting  grounds  east  of  the  Rocky  range,  and  the  most  friendly 
feeling  still  exists  between  them. 

It  affords  me  pleasure  to  say  that  these  Indians  have  abstained 
from  any  act  of  hostility  towards  the  whites  since  my  last  report. 
They  accompanied  Washakee  on  his  recent  visit  to  the  agency,  and 
were  present  at  the  distribution  of  goods  to  him. 

In  view  of  their  friendly  relations  and  their  great  destitution, 
I  would  recommend  that  an  appropriation  of  $8,000  in  goods  and 
$2,000  in  money  be  made  annually  to  supply  their  wants  while 
they  continue  friendly. 

Should  the  appropriation  be  made,  and  the  department  deem 
it  advisable,  they  could  be  placed  under  the  protection  of  this 
agency. 

I  strongly  recommend  that  some  provision  be  made  for  the 
erection  of  an  agency  building  at  this  agency,  as  soon  as  practi- 
cable, and  trust  that  its  importance  will  be  sufficient  excuse  for 
urging  it  upon  the  attention  of  the  department. 

For  agency  purposes  I  am  now  using  one  of  the  buildings 
erected  by  the  military  department.  It  is  in  a  very  bad  condition 
and  utterly  unfit  for  the  protection  of  the  annuity  goods,  which  I 
am  compelled  to  retain  for  more  than  six  months  after  their 
arrival.  ... 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  59 

CXXXIX 

F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of  Indian  Affairs,  to  N.  G.  Taylor, 

Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  dated  Great  Salt  Lake 

City,  July  30,  1867.-<^^ 

Sir:  I  observed  among  the  telegrams  published  in  our  papers 
here,  an  exceedingly  meagre  synopsis  of  your  report,  made  during 
the  recent  special  session  of  Congress,  relative  to  the  causes  of 
the  present  Indian  war.-^^*^  Washakee  and  the  other  principal  chiefs 


267.  Ibid.,  pp.  186-188. 

268.  The  report  mentioned  is  40th  Congress,  Special  Session,  Senate 
Executive  Document  4  (Serial  1308),  "Report  of  the  Secretary  of  the 
Interior,  communicating,  in  compliance  with  a  resolution  of  the  Senate  of 
March  29,  1867,  information  in  relation  to  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  United 
States,"  50  pp.  The  Commissioner's  report  therein,  dated  April  12,  1867, 
was  not  particularly  concerned  with  "the  causes  of  the  present  Indian  war," 
but  on  p.  12  did  comment,  in  respect  of  the  nine  bands  of  Sioux  in  Dakota 
Territory  who  were  parties  to  a  treaty  of  1865,  that  unsatisfactory  relations 
had  existed  since  the  Minnesota  outbreak  of  1862,  one  of  the  causes  being 
"the  rush  of  emigrant  travel  across  their  country,  driving  away  the  game." 
The  Commissioner  seems  more  particularly  to  have  had  in  mind  conditions 
in  what  is  now  North  and  South  Dakota. 

Some  remarks  in  this  particular  report  may  be  noted  here,  from  the 
discussion  of  the  Utah  Superintendency: 

Fort  Bridger  agency.  —  The  Indians  under  the  general  charge  of 
this  agency  are  the  eastern  bands  of  Shoshones  and  Bonnacks,  of 
which  Washakee  is  chief.  These  bands,  with  others  of  the  same 
people,  having  their  range  of  country  along  the  great  emigrant  and 
stage  routes  to  California,  Idaho,  and  Oregon,  it  was  deemed  advisable 
that  some  arrangements  should  be  made  to  prevent  obstructions  to 
travel,  and  accordingly  Governor  Doty,  of  Utah,  in  1863,  met  their 
chiefs  at  various  points  and  concluded  separate  treaties  of  friendships 
with  them,  under  which  the  government  undertook  to  pay  them 
annuities  of  from  $1,000  to  $10,000  for  each  band,  as  some  compen- 
sation for  the  inevitable  destruction  of  game  by  whites,  they  under- 
taking to  keep  the  peace.  The  Senate  amended  all  of  these  treaties 
by  inserting  a  certain  proviso  in  each,  which  made  it  necessary  to 
submit  them  again  to  the  Indians.  A  part  of  them  reached  the  In- 
dians, and  the  amendments  being  assented  to,  the  treaties  were  pub- 
lished, but  some  of  them,  Governor  Doty  having  meanwhile  died, 
failed  to  reach  them.  The  appropriations  have,  however,  been  made 
under  all.  Washakee's  band  is  one  of  those  which  has  not  yet  had 
the  amendment  submitted  to  them.  He  and  his  people  have  faith- 
fully kept  their  treaties,  and  indeed  the  same  may  be  said  of  all  the 
other  bands  treated  with  in  1863.  The  ranges  of  country  claimed  by 
these  bands  are  noted  at  the  end  of  table  C.  They  are  thoroughly 
wild  Indians,  living  by  the  hunt,  and  have,  and  at  present  need,  no 
reservations.  Luther  Mann,  jr.,  appointed  July  31,  1861,  is  the  special 
agent,  and  has  given  full  satisfaction.  .  .  .  Mr.  F.  H.  Head,  appointed 
March  23,  1866,  is  the  superintendent,  and  is  a  careful,  energetic, 
and  prompt  officer.  ...  (p.  9) 

In  Table  C  (p.  35)  the  "Range  of  country"  of  the  Eastern  bands  of 
Shoshones  and  Bannocks  is  described  as  "Commencing  at  Bridger's  Pass; 
thence  north  to  Independence   Rock;   thence   up  the   line   of  the   Rocky 


60  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

of  the  Eastern  Shoshones  visited  me  a  few  days  since,  and  I  had 
a  conversation  with  them  relative  to  the  same  subject.  I  write 
you  regarding  this,  thinking  the  views  of  Washakee,  who  is  un- 
doubtedly the  most  sagacious,  honorable,  and  intelligent  Indian 
among  the  uncivilized  tribes,  might  be  of  interest  to  you,  especially 
as  they  would  seem  to  corroborate  your  own,  in  every  particular. 
Washakee  said  that  the  country  east  from  the  Wind  river  moun- 
tains, to  the  settled  portion  of  eastern  Nebraska  and  Kansas,  had 
always  been  claimed  by  four  principal  Indian  tribes — the  Sioux, 
Arapahoes,  Cheyennes,  and  Crows.  That  it  was  a  country  abound- 
ing in  game,  thus  furnishing  to  the  Indians  an  abundance  of  food 
as  well  as  large  quantities  of  surplus  robes,  skins  ad  furs,  by  the 
sale  of  which  they  were  made  comparatively  wealthy.  That  all 
the  tribes  inhabiting  that  region  were  contented  and  entertained 
towards  the  whites  the  most  friendly  feeling  until  the  opening  of 
what  is  usually  known  as  the  Powder  river  route  to  Montana,  a 
road  leaving  the  old  express  route  near  Fort  Laramie  and  passing 
by  a  circuitous  course  to  Virginia  City.-*'"  That  all  the  Indians 
objected  strongly  to  the  opening  of  this  road,  knowing  by  exper- 
ience that  the  game  would,  in  consequence,  soon  disappear,  but 
did  not  commence  hostilities  at  once,  since  they  were  informed  by 
the  whites  that  there  was  no  other  way  for  them  to  go  to  the  gold 
mines  of  Montana.  That  they  soon  found  this  was  not  true;  that 
but  few  people  passed  over  the  road,  but  that  forts  were  built, 
.soldiers  sent  out  to  protect  the  road,  and  trains  were  often  passing, 
but  only  to  carry  supplies  to  the  troops.-^"  That  the  soldiers,  too, 
gave  the  Indians  whiskey,  seduced  from  them  numbers  of  their 
squaws,  and  otherwise  maltreated  them.  And  after  mature  dehb- 
eration  the  Indians  were  satisfied  that  the  road  was  only  made  to 
afford  employment  to  the  soldiers  and  to  destroy  their  game;  that 
they  must  starve  after  a  few  years  with  the  disappearance  of  their 
game,  and  that  it  was  as  well  to  die  fighting  as  by  starvation. 
They  had  accordingly  all  taken  up  arms,  resolved  to  drive  out  the 
whites  from  their  country  or  perish  in  the  endeavor.     I  asked 


mountains  to  about  112°  west  longitude;  thence  southwest  to  Salmon  Falls, 
on  Snake  river;  thence  up  that  stream  to  Fall  creek;  thence  southeast  to 
Utah  lake;  thence  east  to  headwaters  of  North  Platte,  in  North  Park; 
thence  down  that  stream  to  place  of  beginning." 

269.  This  road,  pioneered  by  John  Bozeman  in  1863-1864,  is  now  better 
known  as  the  Bozeman  Trail;  it  struck  out  for  Montana  from  the  northern- 
most bend  of  the  North  Platte,  the  site  of  Fort  Fetterman,  near  Douglas, 
Wyoming.  Keeping  east  of  the  Big  Horn  Mountains,  the  road  did  not 
penetrate  Shoshoni  country  as  did  the  Bridger  Trail,  over  which  Jim 
Bridger  guided  immigrants  to  Montana  in  1864;  it  passed  through  the 
heart  of  the  Sioux  domain,  and  was  at  once  beset  by  those  Indians. 

270.  The  forts  built  to  garrison  the  Bozeman  Trail  were  Reno,  Phil. 
Kearney,  and  C.  F.  Smith,  all  constructed  in  the  summer  of  1866.  After 
two  bloody  years,  they  were  abandoned,  and  the  Bozeman  Trail  was  not 
reopened  until  after  the  Custer  Massacre  of  1876. 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  61 

Washakee  if  the  white  traders  had,  by  their  conduct,  in  any  way 
aided  in  the  present  state  of  affairs.  He  rephed  that  they  had  not; 
that  the  regular  traders,  hcensed  by  the  government,  were  nearly 
always  good  men,  since  they  were  under  the  control  of  the  Great 
Father,  but  that  there  were  great  numbers  of  white  men,  thieves 
and  murderers,  who  were  outlaws  because  of  their  crimes,  who  had 
taken  up  their  residences  among  the  Indians,  and  were  always 
inciting  them  to  outrages;  often  leading  in  their  stealing  raids. 

The  views  of  Washakee,  although  somewhat  crude  as  to  the 
reason  for  keeping  open  the  road,  are  in  most  respects  entirely 
correct,  and  are  the  views  of  all  disinterested  men  familiar  with 
the  subject. -^^  What  is  known  as  the  Powder  river  road  is  one  of 
the  most  complete  and  expensive  humbugs  of  the  day. 

Attention  was  first  called  to  this  road  and  its  opening  secured 
by  certain  speculators,  owning  or  expecting  to  own  certain  lucra- 
tive toll-bridges,  roads  and  ferries  thereon.  It  was  claimed  to  be 
many  hundreds  of  miles  shorter  than  the  road  via  Fort  Bridger. 
I  have  however  myself  conversed  with  numbers  of  freighters  who 
have  passed  over  the  road,  and  without  an  exception  they  have 
stated  that  they  would  never  go  by  that  route  again;  that  although 
on  a  map  it  would  appear  shorter  than  the  route  via  this  city,  yet 
that,  by  reason  of  the  numerous  detours,  they  believed  it  actually 
longer,  and  that  it  was  a  worse  road  in  every  respect,  especially 
as  it  regards  wood,  water,  grass,  and  streams  difficult  to  cross. 

These  reasons  would  of  themselves  have  been  sufficient  to 
cause  an  abandonment  of  the  route,  but  it  was  at  this  time  found 
that  the  Missouri  river,  contrary  to  ancient  theories,  was  navigable 
for  light-draught  steamboats.  For  the  last  two  years  all  freight 
for  Montana  from  the  States  has  gone  by  the  Missouri  river.  Had 
the  Powder  river  road,  therefore,  been  all  that  was  at  first  claimed 


271.  In  the  Annual  Report  on  Indian  Affairs,  Nov.    15,    1867,  Acting 

Commissioner  Charles  E.  Mix  commented: 

...  Noted  among  the  Indians  of  this  (Utah)  Territory  is  "Waskakee", 
chief  of  the  eastern  Shoshones,  always  friendly,  and  deserving  the 
praise  awarded  by  all  who  know  his  virtues  and  noble  characteristics. 
I  refer  to  his  sensible  views  as  to  the  probable  cause  of  the  hostile 
views  and  demonstrations  by  the  Sioux  and  other  Indians  on  the 
upper  Platte,  embodied  in  a  letter  from  Superintendent  Head,  which 
will  be  found  among  the  documents  accompanying  this  report.  His 
people  numbering  about  2,000,  usually  spend  the  winter  in  Wind 
River  valley,  Dakota,  which  abounds  in  game,  and  affords  them 
mainly  their  supplies  for  subsistence.  They  want  that  valley  for  a 
reservation,  and  if  it  be  practicable  I  shall  favor  granting  it  to  them. 
.  .  .  (40th  Congress,  2nd  Session,  House  Executive  Document  1  (Serial 
1326,)  Part  II,  p.  11.) 
It  requires  to  be  born  in  mind  that  at  this  period  a  bitter  struggle  was 

going  on  between  the  War  and  Interior  departments   as   to  whether   the 

Office  of  Indian  Affairs  should  remain  under  civilian  control  or  be  handed 

over  to  the  military. 


62  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

for  it,  it  would  have  been  abandoned  by  freighters,  since  freight 
could  be  taken  by  steamboat  to  Montana,  profitably,  at  six  to 
eight  cents  per  pound,  while  land  transportation  would  cost  about 
three  times  such  rates.  In  view  of  above  facts  it  has  at  all  times 
seemed  to  me  most  singular  that  the  government  should  persist  in 
keeping  troops  along  a  road  abandoned  by  all  freighters  and  emi- 
grants, when  the  result  of  such  a  course,  unless  the  Indians  were 
induced  to  cede  the  right  of  way,  could  not  fail  to  be  an  Indian  war. 
I  think  it  would  be  within  bounds  to  say  that  every  pound  of 
freight  taken  over  the  Powder  river  road  for  the  past  two  years 
has  cost  the  government  already  at  least  $1,000,  and  the  expense 
would  seem  to  be  but  commenced. 

Many  of  the  Indians  within  the  superintendency,  in  the  hunting 
expeditions,  meet  and  converse  with  the  hostile  Indians.  From 
their  statements  I  feel  entirely  certain  that  if  the  troops  were  with- 
drawn from  the  Indian  country,  and  a  treaty  made  with  the 
hostile  Indians  guaranteeing  them  the  occupation  of  the  territory 
cut  by  the  Powder  river  road,  for  a  certain  term  of  years,  peace 
could  be  at  once  restored  and  kept.  It  has  been  the  correct  theory 
of  our  gove'-nment  that  since  the  Indians  do  not  make  the  highest 
use  of  the  soil,  we  may  take  it  from  them  after  reasonable  com- 
pensation, as  fast  as  the  same  is  needed  for  settlement.  There  is 
not,  however,  in  all  the  vast  region  cut  by  the  Powder  river  road, 
and  now  occupied  by  troops,  a  single  settler  or  white  person,  other 
than  the  hangers-on  of  the  army.  No  person,  save  the  pure- 
minded,  patriotic  army  contractors,  would  be  injured  by  such 
abandonment.  The  many  expenses  for  a  single  week  would  be 
sufficient  to  perpetually  tranquilize  the  hostile  tribes.  At  the 
expiration  of  1 0  or  15  years,  were  it  deemed  advisable  to  open  the 
country  for  settlement,  arrangements  could  be  made  with  the 
Indians  accordingly,  either  by  setting  apart  certain  portions  as 
reservations,  or  by  removing  them  to  some  suitable  portion  of  our 
territory  between  Montana  and  Alaska.  .  .  .^'^^ 

CXL 

Luther  Mann,  Jr.,  Indian  Agent,  to  F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of 
Indian  Affairs,  dated  Fort  Bridger,  U.  T.,  Sept.  23,  1867.-^^ 

Sir 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  Triplicate  Receipts  for 
Seven  Hundred  ten  dollars  and  Seventy  five  Cents  Absence  from 
Bridger  looking  after  the  Indians  under  my  charge  is  my  excuse 
for  the  delay  in  not  sending  them  Earlier. 


272.  An   extraordinary   remark;   how   would   Head   have   defined   "our 
territory"  between  Montana  and  Alaska? 

273.  Utah  Field  Papers,  1867. 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  63 

The  Snake  and  Bannack  Indians  wer  on  their  way  to  their 
hunting  grounds  in  the  vicinity  of  the  late  discovery  of  the  Gold 
Mines^^^  and  Knowing  the  big  Scare  of  the  Minors  in  regard  to 
Indians  I  thought  it  advisable  to  accompany  the  Indians  to  and 
through  the  Camp  in  order  to  avert  any  collision  between  them 
I  accomplished  the  object  of  my  mission  and  am  Satisfied  that 
the  Minors  wer  well  pleased  with  the  visit  by  the  Indians.  .  .  . 

CXLI 

F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of  Indian  Affairs,  to  N.  G.  Taylor, 
Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  dated  Feb.  12,  1868-'^ 

Sir. 

On  the  l'^  day  of  July,  1863  the  late  Gov.  Doty,  pursuant  to 
instructions  from  the  Indian  Bureau,  concluded  a  treaty  with  the 
Eastern  bands  of  Shoshonees,  providing  that  they  should  recieve 
an  annuity  of  $10,000.  On  the  30th  of  the  same  month,  he  con- 
cluded a  treaty  with  the  North  Western  Bands  of  Shoshonees, 
providing  that  they  should  recieve  an  annuity  of  $5000.  and  on 
the  1st.  day  of  October  1863,  a  treaty  with  the  Western  bands, 
providing  for  the  payment  of  the  same  annuity- 

Shortly  after  these  treaties  were  concluded,  he  made  a  fourth 
treaty  with  a  tribe  known  as  the  "mixed  bands  of  Bannacks  and 
Shoshonees,"  by  the  terms  of  which,  it  was  provided  simply  that 
they  should  share  in  the  annuities  of  the  Shoshonees — 

It  seems  impossible  to  reconcile  the  provisions  of  the  treaty 
last  referred  to,  with  good  faith  on  the  part  of  the  Government 
toward  the  Shoshonees-  It  is  simply  diverting  from  them  a  por- 
tion of  their  annuities,  without  their  consent. 

In  view  of  this  fact,  in  my  estimate  for  the  coming  year,  I 
inserted  an  item  of  $5000.  to  carry  out  the  treaty  with  the  mixed 
bands,  as  being  fairly  due  to  them  under  the  treaty-  Observing 
that  this  item  is  not  in  the  printed  book  of  estimates,  emanating 
from  the  Treasury  Department,  I  beg  to  again  call  your  attention 
to  this  subject — 

It  would  seem  to  me  but  Just,  that  an  appropriation  be  recom- 
mended for  the  $5000  above  referred  to,  as  well  as  a  reasonable 


274.  The  so-called  Sweetwater  Mines  at  the  south  end  of  the  Wind  River 
Mountains,  the  northern  shoulder  of  South  Pass.  Intermittent  prospecting 
in  this  area  had  been  prosecuted  all  through  the  sixties;  interesting  finds 
were  made  in  1864,  and  a  mining  district  came  into  being  in  1865.  It  was 
not  until  the  fall  of  1867,  however,  that  South  Pass  City  assumed  its 
identity. 

275.  H/516-1868.  This  letter,  like  Document  CXLII,  was  written  on  a 
letterhead  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  Fortieth  Congress,  U.  S.,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  which  indicates  that  Head  was  then  in  Washington  and  had 
political  entree. 


64  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

amount,  on  account  of  what  should  Justly  have  been  given  them 
during  the  past  four  years — 

The  mixed  bands  number  about  2500,  &  have  observed  their 
treaty  stipulations  with  entire  fidelity.  .  .  . 

[Endorsed:]  The  recommendation  within  is  just  if  practicable. 
The  mixed  band  ought  to  stand  upon  an  equal  footing  with  the 
other  bands — and  inasmuch  as  we  have  no  right  to  divide  the 
money  of  the  Shoshonees  with  others  without  their  consent — a  fair 
interpretation  of  the  treaty  would  be  that  they  are  due  a  pro  rata 
sum  equal  with  that  paid  to  the  Shoshonees. 

This  matter  ought  to  be  brought  especially  to  the  attention  of 
the  Secretary  &  Congress  and  an  appropriation  made — 

Taylor 

Comm"^. 

CXLII 

F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of  Indian  Affairs,  to  N.  G.  Taylor, 
Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  dated  Feb.  15,  1868-^*^ 

Sir  - 

The  treaty,  made  in  1863,  with  the  mixed  bands  of  Bannacks 
&  Shoshonees,  &  to  which  reference  was  made  in  mine  of  the  13th 
[12th]  inst.  was  ratified  by  the  Senate  upon  condition  that  a  sec- 
tion be  added,  defining  the  character  of  the  Indian  title  to  the 
land,  recognized  by  the  Government. 

This  rendered  it  necessary  to  submit  the  treaty  to  the  tribe  for 
their  acquiescence  to  the  added  section,  which  has  never  been 
done  - 

I  shall  meet  this  tribe  probably  early  in  June  next,  &  can  then 
submit  to  them  the  treaty  for  their  signatures. 

I  would  respectfully  suggest — that  the  treaty,  before  being  again 
submitted  to  the  tribe,  be  modified  by  inserting  a  provision,  pro- 
viding for  the  payment  of  an  annuity  of  $5000.  instead  of  the 
indeterminate  amount,  named  in  the  present  treaty — 

Should  this  suggestion  meet  with  your  approval,  will  you  please 
instruct  me  accordingly?  .  .  . 

CXLIII 

F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of  Indian  Affairs,  to  N.  G.  Taylor, 

President,  Indian  Peace  Commission,  dated  Salt  Lake  City, 

April  14,  1868.-'- 

Sir:      I   am   Just  in  receipt  of  a  letter   from   Mr.    [A.S.H.] 


276.  H/520-1868.    See  preceding  note. 

277.  H/595-1868. 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  65 

White,  Secretary  of  the  Peace  Commission,^'^**  transmitting  your 
kind  invitation  to  meet  you  at  Ft.  Bridger  in  June  next,  at  the 
councils  to  be  held  with  the  Bannacks  and  Shoshonees —  Have 
any  steps  been  taken  to  assemble  the  tribes  at  Ft.  Bridger  in  June? 
They  are,  during  the  summer,  scattered  over  a  great  extent  of 
country,  fishing  &  hunting,  and  at  least  a  month's  time  would  be 
required  to  get  them  together  in  any  considerable  numbers. 

I  would  respectfully  suggest,  that  as  sdon  as  you  are  able  to 
designate  a  certain  day  for  the  conference,  you  should  notify  me, 
&  I  will  get  the  Indians  together  at  the  time,  and  will  also,  should 
you. desire  it,  have  at  Ft.  Bridger,  some  beef  and  flour,  to  distribute 
among  them.  .  .  . 

[Endorsed:]  See  tel?  to  Supt  Head  and  Genl  Sanborn,  April  29, 
1868 


278.  The  Indian  Peace  Commission  was  appointed  in  conformance  with 
the  Act  of  Congress,  July  20,  1867,  "to  establish  peace  with  certain  hostile 
Indian  tribes,"  the  Commissioners  being  N.  G.  Taylor,  President,  J.  B. 
Henderson,  Lieut.  Gen.  W.  T.  Sherman,  Bvt.  Maj.  Gen.  William  S.  Harney, 
John  B.  Sanborn,  Bvt.  Maj.  Gen.  Alfred  H.  Terry,  S.  F.  Tappan,  and  Bvt. 
Maj.  Gen.  C.  C.  Augur.  The  Commission  organized  at  St.  Louis  on  Aug. 
6,  1867,  and  until  the  close  of  the  year  treated  with  tribes  on  the  Missouri 
and  the  Arkansas,  and  up  the  Platte  as  far  as  Fort  Laramie.  The  Oglalla 
chief  Red  Cloud,  who  had  been  on  the  war  trail  since  July,  1866,  declined 
to  come  in,  but  sent  a  message  "that  his  war  against  the  whites  was  to  save 
the  valley  of  the  Powder  river,  the  only  hunting  ground  left  to  his  nation," 
and  gave  assurance  "that  whenever  the  military  garrisons  at  Fort  Phil. 
Kearney  and  Fort  C.  F.  Smith  were  withdrawn,  the  war  on  his  part  would 
cease."  Before  adjourning,  the  commissioners  sent  word  to  Red  Cloud  that 
they  wished  to  council  with  him  the  following  year.  In  the  Commission's 
report  of  Jan.  7,  1868,  the  final  recommendation  was  as  follows: 

A  new  commission  should  be  appointed,  or  the  present  one  be 
authorized  to  meet  the  Sioux  next  spring,  according  to  our  agreement, 
and  also  to  arrange  with  the  Navajoes  for  their  removal.  It  might  be 
well,  also  in  case  our  suggestions  are  adopted  in  regard  to  selecting 
Indian  territories,  to  extend  the  powers  of  the  commission,  so  as  to 
enable  us  to  conclude  treaties  or  agreements  with  tribes  confessedly 
at  peace,  looking  to  their  concentration  upon  the  reservations  indi- 
cated. 

In  the  course  of  a  short  time  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  will  have 
reached  the  country  claimed  by  the  Snakes,  Bannocks,  and  other 
tribes,  and  in  order  to  preserve  peace  with  them  the  commission 
should  be  required  to  see  them  and  make  with  them  satisfactory 
arrangements.  (40th  Congress,  3rd  Session,  House  Executive  Docu- 
ment 1  (Serial  1366),  p.  509.) 

A  further  factor,  exhibiting  the  economic  facts  of  life,  may  have  been 
the  land  grants  to  the  builders  of  the  Pacific  Railroad;  technically,  the 
Government  had  to  extinguish  the  Indian  title  before  it  could  give  the 
railroad  a  valid  title  to  the  lands  being  granted.  This  consideration  prob- 
ably outweighed  all  of  Agent  Mann's  recommendations  on  the  basis  of 
simple  abstract  justice  to  the  Shoshoni. 


66  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

CXLIV 

Luther  Mann,  Jr.,  Indian  Agent,  to  F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of 

Indian  Affairs,  dated  Fort  Bridger  Agency, 

May  12,  1868.-''^9 

Sir 

Your  letter  of  the  30  April  this  Moment  received  by  Coach  from 
the  East  and  hasten  to  reply  I  will  not  distribute  goods  untill 
after  Meeting  of  Peace  Commission  I  am  collecting  the  Indians 
as  rapidly  as  possible  and  hope  to  have  a  large  portion  of  them 
if  not  all  by  the  time  the  Commission  arive  the  fourth  of  June 
there  are  at  present  here  96  Lodges  of  Shoshonees  and  forty  nine 
Lodges  of  Bannacks  Washakee  is  not  here  I  am  Expecting  him 
Soon  I  am  feeding  the  Indians  with  Beef  and  Flour  in  Small 
quantities  in  order  to  keep  them  here  I  have  already  given  them 
One  hundred  Sacks  Flour  and  a  thousand  pounds  Beef  which  is 
a  very  Scarse  article  here  I  will  try  and  Keep  all  of  the  Indians 
here  that  come  the  Flour  you  speak  of  would  be  very  acceptable 
I  understand  that  arangements  have  been  Made  by  the  Indian 
Bureau  with  Judge  Carter  for  feeding  Indians  what  those  arange- 
ments are  I  do  not  know  I  will  send  copies  of  Telegrams  from 
Genl  Sanborn 

From  Genl  Sanborn  April  20 
Do  you  desire  the  assistance  of  Mr  [James]   Bridger     If  so  we 
will  Send  him  at  once  to  you-^*'     We  will  meet  the  Indians  at 
Bridger  on  the  fourth  of  June 

My  reply  April  21 

Will  not  require  the  assistance  of  Mr  Bridger  It  will  be 
necessary  to  feed  the  Indians  to  Keep  them  at  the  agency  what 
Shall  I  do 

From  Genl  Sanborn  April  29 ''^ 
Arangements  are  made  by  Indian  Bureau  with  Judge  Carter  for 
feeding  Indians  at  Bridger  &  they  may  be  collected  at  once 

I  had  however  commenced  feeding  them  Soon  after  the  20th 
of  April  I  have  been  using  the  Shoshonee  Flour  for  that  purpose 
Judge  Carter  expects  three  hundred  Sacks  here  in  a  few  days  and 
I  will  replace  it  I  shall  be  pleased  to  see  you  at  Bridger  with  the 
Commission.  .  .  . 


279.  Utah  Field  Papers,  1868. 

280.  Bridger  had  spent  part  of  the  winter  at  Westport,  but  was  on  hand 
for  the  councils  with  the  Sioux  which  culminated  in  the  treaty  at  Fort 
Laramie  on  April  29,  1868.  On  May  15  he  was  placed  on  the  Army 
payroll  as  a  guide,  and  during  the  summer  served  with  Lieut.  P.  F.  Barnard 
of  the  Fourth  Infantry  in  removing  property  from  the  forts  which  were 
being  abandoned  along  the  Bozeman  Trail.  See  J.  Cecil  Alter,  James 
Bridger,  revised  ed.,  Columbus,  1951,  pp.  469,  591-592. 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  67 

CXLV 

Articles  of  a  Treaty  with  the  Shoshonee  (Eastern  Band) 

AND  Bannack  Tribes  of  Indians.     Made  the  third  day  of 

July  1868  at  Fort  Bridger  Utah  Ter.^^^ 

Articles  of  a  Treaty,  made  and  concluded  at  Fort  Bridger,  Utah 
Territory,  on  the  third  day  of  July  in  the  year  of  Our  Lord  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty  eight  by  and  between  the  under- 
signed Commissioners  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  and  the 
undersigned  Chiefs  and  headmen  of  and  representing  the  Sho- 
shonee (Eastern  Band)  and  Bannack  tribes  of  Indians  they  being 
duly  authorized  to  act  in  the  premises. 

Article  I.  From  this  day  forward,  peace  between  the  parties  to 
this  Treaty  shall  forever  continue.  The  Government  of  the  United 
States  desires  peace  and  its  honor  is  hereby  pledged  to  keep  it. 
The  Indians  desire  peace  and  they  hereby  pledge  their  honor  to 
maintain  it. 

If  bad  men  among  the  whites  or  among  other  people  subject  to 
the  authority  of  the  United  States  shall  commit  any  wrong  upon 
the  person  or  property  of  the  Indians  the  United  States  will  upon 
proof  made  to  the  Agent  and  forwarded  to  the  Commissioner  of 
Indian  Affairs  at  Washington  City  proceed  at  once  to  cause  the 
offender  to  be  arrested  and  punished  according  to  the  laws  of  the 
United  States  and  also  reimburse  the  injured  person  for  the  loss 
sustained. 

If  bad  men  among  the  Indians  shall  commit  a  wrong  or  depreda- 
tion upon  the  person  or  property  of  anyone,  white  black  or  Indian 
subject  to  the  authority  of  the  United  States  and  at  peace  therewith, 
the  Indians  herein  named,  solemnly  agree,  that  they  will  on  proof 
made  to  their  Agent,  and  notice  by  him  deliver  up  the  wrong  doer 
to  the  United  States,  to  be  tried  and  punished  according  to  its 
laws,  and  in  case  they  wilfully  refuse  so  to  do  the  person  injured 
shall  be  reimbursed  for  his  loss,  from  the  annuities  or  other  monies 
due  or  to  become  due  to  them  under  this  or  other  Treaties  made 
with  the  United  States.  And  the  President  on  advising  with  the 
Commissioner  on  Indian  Affairs  shall  prescribe  such  rules  and 
regulations  for  ascertaining  damages  under  the  provisions  of  this 
article  as  in  his  judgment  may  be  proper.  But  no  such  damages 
shall  be  adjusted  and  paid,  until  thoroughly  examined  and  passed 
upon  by  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  and  no  one  sus- 
taining sustaining   [sic]   loss,  while  violating,  or  because  of  his 


281.  The  manuscript  copy  of  the  treaty  here  printed  is  one  found  in  the 
Ratified  Treaties  File  No.  373.  This  was  one  of  the  last  treaties  negotiated 
by  the  United  States  with  an  Indian  tribe,  for  after  1868  all  reservations 
were  created  by  Executive  Order.  The  treaty  was  ratified  by  Congress 
Feb.  26,  1869. 


68  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

violating  the  provisions  of  this  Treaty,  or  the  laws  of  the  United 
States,  shall  be  reimbursed  therefor. 

Article  II.  It  is  agreed  that  whenever  the  Bannacks  desire  a 
reservation  to  be  set  apart  for  their  use,  or  whenever  the  President 
of  the  United  States  shall  deem  it  advisable  for  them  to  be  put 
upon  a  reservation  he  shall  cause  a  suitable  one  to  be  selected 
for  them  in  their  present  Country  which  shall  embrace  reasonable 
portions  of  the  "Port  Neuf"  and  Kansas  [Kamas]  prairie"  coun- 
tries and  that  when  this  reservation  is  declared  the  United  States 
will  secure  to  the  Bannacks  the  same  rights  and  privileges  herein 
and  make  the  same  and  like  expenditures  wherein  for  their  benefit 
except  the  Agency  House  and  residences  of  Agents  in  proportion 
to  their  numbers  as  herein  provided  for  the  Shoshonee  reservation. 

The  United  States  further  agree  that  the  following  district  of 
country,  to  wit.  Commencing  at  the  mouth  of  Owl  Creek  and 
running  due  South  to  the  crest  of  the  divide  between  the  Sweet- 
water and  Popo  Agie  rivers — thence  along  the  crest  of  said  divide 
and  the  summit  of  Wind  River  Mountains  to  the  longitude  of 
North  Fork  of  Wind  River — thence  due  north  to  mouth  of  said 
North  Fork  and  up  its  channel  to  a  point  twenty  miles  above  its 
mouth — thence  in  a  straight  line  to  head  waters  of  Owl  Creek 
and  along  middle  of  Channel  of  Owl  Creek  to  place  of  beginning, 
shall  be  and  the  same  is  set  apart  for  the  absolute  and  undis- 
turbed-'^- use  and  occupation  of  the  Shoshonee  Indians  herein 
named  and  for  such  other  friendly  tribes  or  individual  Indians 
as  from  time  to  time  they  may  be  willing  with  the  consent  of  the 
United  States  to  admit  amongst  them,-''-'  and  the  United  States 
now  solemnly  agree  that  no  person  except  those  herein  designated 
and  authorized  to  do  so,  and  except  such,  officers  or  Agents  and 
employees  of  the  Government,  as  may  be  authorized  to  enter 
upon  Indian  reservations  in  discharge  of  duties  enjoined  by  law, 
shall  ever  be  permitted  to  pass  over  settle  upon  or  reside  in  the 
Territory  described  in  this  article  for  the  use  of  said  Indians  and 
henceforth  they  will  and  do  hereby  relinquish  all  title  claims  or 
rights  in,  and  to,  any  portion  of  the  Territory  of  the  United  States 
except  such  as  is  embraced  within  the  limits  aforesaid. 

Article  III.  The  United  States  agrees  at  its  own  proper  expense 
to  construct  at  a  suitable  point  in  the  Shoshonee  reservation  a 
warehouse  or  storeroom  for  the  use  of  the  Agent  in  storing  goods 


282.  Notwithstanding  these  fine  words,  and  after  the  usual  manner  of 
the  "permanent"  arrangements  made  by  the  United  States  with  Indian  tribes, 
the  Shoshoni  were  afterwards  persuaded  to  concur  in  the  reduction  of  the 
size  of  their  reservation;  it  was  cut  down  in  1872,  1896,  1904  to  approxi- 
mately one-fifth  the  size  of  that  defined  in   1868. 

283.  As  this  worked  out  in  practice,  the  U.  S.  government  placed  upon 
the  Shoshoni  reservation  numbers  of  Northern  Arapahoes,  their  hereditary 
enemies. 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  69 

belonging  to  the  Indians,  to  cost  not  exceeding  two  thousand 
dollars;  an  Agency  building  for  the  residence  of  the  Agent  to  cost 
not  exceeding  three  thousand;  a  residence  for  the  Physician  to 
cost  not  more  than  two  thousand  dollars,  and  five  other  buildings 
for  a  Carpenter,  Farmer  Blacksmith,  Miller  and  Engineer  each  to 
cost  not  exceeding  two  thousand  dollars;  also  a  school  house  or 
Mission  building,  so  soon  as  a  sufficient  number  of  children  can  be 
induced  by  the  Agent  to  attend  School,  which  shall  not  cost 
exceeding  twenty  five  hundred  dollars. 

The  United  States  agrees  further  to  cause  to  be  erected  on  said 
Shoshonee  reservation  near  the  other  buildings  herein  authorized 
a  good  steam  circular  Saw  mill  with  a  Grist  Mill  and  Shingle 
Machine  attached  the  same  to  cost  not  more  than  eight  thousand 
dollars. 

Article  IV.  The  Indians  herein  named  agree  when  the  Agency 
House  and  other  buildings  shall  be  constructed  on  their  reserva- 
tions named  they  will  make  said  reservations  their  permanent 
homes,  and  they  will  make  no  permanent  settlement  elsewhere  but 
they  shall  have  the  right  to  hunt  on  the  unoccupied  lands  of  the 
United  States,  so  long  as  game  may  be  found  thereon  and  so  long 
as  peace  subsists  among  the  whites  and  Indians,  on  the  borders 
of  the  hunting  districts. 

Article  V.  The  United  States  agrees  that  the  Agent  for  said 
Indians  shall  in  the  future  make  his  home  at  the  Agency  building 
on  the  Shoshonee  reservation  but  shall  direct  and  supervise  affairs 
on  the  Bannack  reservation,-^^  and  shall  keep  an  office  open  at  all 
times  for  the  purpose  of  prompt  and  diligent  enquiry  into  such 
matters  of  complaint  by  and  against  the  Indians  as  may  be  pre- 
sented for  investigation  under  the  provisions  of  their  Treaty  stipu- 
lations as  also  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  other  duties  enjoined  by 
law.  In  all  cases  of  depredation  on  person  or  property  he  shall 
cause  the  evidence  to  be  taken  in  writing  and  forwarded  together 
with  his  finding  to  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  whose 
decision  shall  be  binding  on  the  parties  to  this  Treaty. 

Article  VI.  If  any  individual  belonging  to  said  tribes  of  Indians 
or  legally  incorporated  with  them  being  the  head  of  a  family  shall 
desire  to  commence  farming  he  shall  have  the  privilege  to  select 
in  the  presence  and  with  the  assistance  of  the  Agent  then  in  charge, 
a  tract  of  land  within  the  reservation  of  his  tribe  not  exceeding 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  extent  which  tract  so  selected 
certified  and  recorded  in  the  "Land  Book"  as  herein  directed 
shall  cease  to  be  held  in  common,  but  the  same  may  be  occupied 
and  held  in  the  exclusive  possession  of  the  person  selecting  it. 


284.  This  provision,  if  not  a  fossil  relic  from  an  earlier  draft  of  an 
insufficiently  revised  treaty,  represented  a  lingering  hope  that  the  Bannacks 
would  yet  be  domiciled  with  the  eastern  Shoshoni. 


70  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  of  his  family,  so  long  as  he  or  they  may  continue  to  cultivate 
it. 

Any  person  over  eighteen  years  of  age,  not  being  the  head  of  a 
family  may  in  like  manner  select  and  cause  to  be  certified  to  him 
or  her  for  purposes  of  cultivation,  a  quantity  of  land  not  exceeding 
eighty  acres  in  extent  and  thereupon  be  entitled  to  the  exclusive 
possession  of  the  same  as  above  described. 

For  each  tract  of  land  so  selected  a  certificate  containing  a 
description  thereof  and  the  name  of  the  person  selecting  it,  with 
a  certificate  endorsed  thereon  that  the  same  has  been  recorded 
shall  be  delivered  to  the  party  entitled  to  it  by  the  Agent  after  the 
same  shall  have  been  recorded  by  him  in  a  book  to  be  kept  in  his 
office,  subject  to  inspection  which  said  book  shall  be  known  as 
the  "Shoshonee  (Eastern  Band)  and  Bannack  Land  Book."  The 
President  may  at  any  time  order  a  survey  of  the  reservations,  and 
when  so  surveyed  Congress  shall  provide  for  protecting  the  rights 
of  the  Indian  settlers  in  these  improvements,  and  may  fix  the 
character  of  the  title  held  by  each.  The  United  States  may  pass 
such  laws  on  the  subject  of  alienation  and  descent  of  property  as 
between  Indians  and  on  all  subjects  connected  with  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  Indians  on  said  reservations,  and  the  internal  police 
thereof,  as  may  be  thought  proper. 

Article  VII.  In  order  to  insure  the  civilization  of  the  tribes 
entering  into  this  Treaty,  the  necessity  of  education  is  admitted 
especially  of  such  of  them  as  are  or  may  be  settled  on  said  agri- 
cultural reservation  and  they  therefore  pledge  themselves  to 
compel  their  children  male  and  female,  between  the  ages  of  six 
and  eighteen  years  to  attend  school  and,  it  is  hereby  made  the  duty 
of  the  Agent  for  said  Indians  to  see  that  this  stipulation  is  strictly 
complied  with  and  the  United  States  agree  that  for  every  thirty 
children  between  said  ages  who  can  be  induced  or  compelled  to 
attend  school,  a  house  shall  be  provided,  and  a  teacher  competent 
to  teach  the  elementary  branches  of  an  English  education  shall  be 
furnished  who  will  reside  among  said  Indians  and  faithfully  dis- 
charge his  or  her  duties  as  a  teacher.  The  provisions  of  this  article 
to  continue  for  twenty  years. 

Article  VIII.  When  the  head  of  a  family  or  lodge  shall  have 
selected  land  and  received  his  certificate  as  above  directed  and  the 
Agent  shall  be  satisfied  that  he  intends  in  good  faith  to  commence 
cultivating  the  soil  for  a  living,  he  shall  be  entitled  to  receive 
seeds  and  agricultural  implements  for  the  first  year  in  value,  one 
hundred  dollars  and  for  each  succeeding  year  he  shall  continue  to 
farm,  for  a  period  of  three  years  more,  he  shall  be  entitled  to 
receive  seeds  and  implements  as  aforesaid  in  value  twenty  five 
dollars  per  annum.  And  it  is  further  stipulated  that  such  persons 
as  commence  farming  shall  receive  instructions  from  the  Farmers 
herein  provided  for,  and  whenever  more  than  one  hundred  persons 
on  either  reservation  shall  enter  upon  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  a 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  71 

second  Blacksmith  shall  be  provided  with  such  iron,  steel  and 
other  material  as  may  be  required. 

Article  IX.  In  lieu  of  all  sums  of  money  or  other  annuities 
provided  to  be  paid  to  the  Indians  herein  named  underany  and  all 
treaties  heretofore  made  with  them,  the  United  States  agrees  to 
deliver  at  the  Agency  House  on  the  reservation  herein  provided  for 
on  the  first  day  of  September  of  each  year,  for  thirty  years  the 
following  articles,  to  wit; 

For  each  male  person  over  fourteen  years  of  age  a  suit  of  good 
substantial  woolen  clothing,  consisting  of,  hat  coat  pantaloons, 
flannel  shirt  and  a  pair  of  woolen  socks. 

For  each  female  over  twelve  years  of  age  a  flannel  skirt,  or  the 
goods  necessary  to  make  it,  a  pair  of  woolen  hose,  twelve  yards  of 
calico  and  twelye  yards  of  cotton  domestics. 

For  the  boys  and  girls  under  the  ages  named  such  flannel  and 
cotton  goods  as  may  be  needed  to  make  each  a  suit  as  aforesaid 
together  with  a  pair  of  woolen  hose  for  each. 

And  in  order  that  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  may  be 
able  to  estimate  properly  for  the  articles  herein  named,  it  shall  be 
the  duty  of  the  Agent,  each  year  to  forward  to  him  a  full  and 
exact  census  of  the  Indians  on  which  the  estimate  from  year  to  year 
can  be  based.  And  in  addition  to  the  clothing  herein  named  the 
sum  of  ten  dollars  shall  be  annually  appropriated  for  each  Indian 
roaming,  and  twenty  dollars  for  each  Indian  engaged  in  agriculture, 
for  a  period  of  ten  years,  to  be  used  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Interior  in  the  purchase  of  such  articles  as  from  time  to  time  the 
condition  and  necessities  of  the  Indians  may  indicate  to  be  proper 

And  if  at  any  time  within  the  ten  years  it  shall  appear  that  the 
amount  of  money  needed  for  clothing  under  this  article  can  be 
appropriated  to  better  uses  for  the  tribes  herein  named.  Congress 
may  by  law  change  the  appropriation  to  other  purposes  but  in  no 
event  shall  the  amount  of  this  appropriation  be  withdrawn  or 
discontinued  for  the  period  named.  And  the  President  shall 
annually  detail  an  officer  of  the  army  to  be  present  and  attest 
the  delivery  of  all  the  goods  herein  named  to  the  Indians  and  he 
shall  inspect  and  report  on  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  goods 
and  the  manner  of  their  delivery. 

Article  X.  The  United  States  hereby  agree  to  furnish  annually 
to  the  Indians  the  Physician,  Teachers,  Carpenter,  Miller,  Enginer, 
Farmer  and  Blacksmith  as  herein  contemplated  and  that  such 
appropriations  shall  be  made  from  time  to  time  on  the  estimates 
of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  as  will  be  sufficient  to  employ  such 
persons. 

Article  XI.  No  Treaty  for  the  cession  of  any  portion  of  the 
reservation  herein  described  which  may  be  held  in  common  shall 
be  of  any  force  or  validity  as  against  the  said  Indians  unless 
executed  and  signed  by  at  least  a  majority  of  all  the  adult  male 
Indians  occupying  or  interested  in  such  manner  as  to  deprive 


72  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

without  his  consent  any  individual  member,  of  the  tribe  of  his 
right  to  any  tract  of  land  selected  by  him  as  provided  in  article  VI 
of  this  Treaty. 

Article  XII.  It  is  agreed  that  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars 
annually,  for  three  years  from  the  date  when  they  commence  to 
cultivate  a  farm  shall  be  expended  in  presents  to  the  ten  persons  of 
said  tribe,  who  in  the  judgment  of  the  Agent,  may  grow  the  most 
valuable  crops  for  the  respective  years. 

Article  XIII.  It  is  further  agreed  that  until  such  time  as  the 
Agency  Buildings  are  estabUshed  on  the  Shoshonee  reservation, 
their  Agent  shall  reside  at  Fort  Bridger  U.  T.  and  their  annuities 
shall  be  delivered  to  them  at  the  same  place  in  June  of  each  year. 

N.  G.  Taylor     (Seal) 

W.  T.  Sherman  Lt.  Geni.     (Seal) 

Wm.  S.  Harney     (Seal) 

S.  F.  Tappan     (Seal) 

C.  C.  Augur     (Seal) 

Bv't-Major  Genl.  U.S.A. 
Attest  Commissioner 

A.  S.  H.  White  Alfred  H.  Terry     (Seal) 

Secretary  Brig.  Genl.  &  Bv't  Maj  Genl  U.S.A. 

Shoshonees. 

Wash-a-kie  x  his  mark 

Wan-ny-pitz  x  his  mark 

Trop-se-po-wot  x     his  mark 

Nar-kok  x  his  mark 

Taboonsheya  x  his  mark 

Bazeel  x  his  mark                                      ^ 

Pan-to-she-ga  x  his  mark                                      i 

Bannocks 
,  Taggee  x     his  mark 

Tay-to-ba  x     his  mark 

We-rat-ze-mon-a-gen       x     his  mark 
Coo-sha-gan         x     his  mark  • 

Pan-sook-a-motse        x     his  mark 
A-wite-etse  x     his  mark 

Witnesses. 

Henry  A.  Morrow 
Lt.  Col.  36  Infantry  &  Bvt  Col  U.  S.  A. 
Com'^g  Ft.  Bridger 
Luther  Manpa  [Mann] 
U.  S.  Indian  Agent 

W.  A.  Carter. 
J.  Vanallen  Carter 
Interpreter. 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  73 

CXLVI 

Luther  Mann,  Jr.,  Indian  Agent,  to  F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of 

Indian  Affairs,  dated  Fort  Bridger  Agency, 

Aug.  16,  1868.285 

Sir 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  an  Estimate  of  funds  for 
the  Fort  Bridger  agency  for  the  quarter  Ending  Sep^  30th  1868 

The  Estimate  for  Wood  is  made  upon  the  Suposition  that  I  will 
be  able  to  procure  an  Office  at  this  agency  I  am  Entirely  destitute 
of  One  at  present  and  have  been  for  more  than  a  month  and  there 
is  but  very  little  prospect  if  any  of  my  obtaining  one  unless  I 
build  one  for  myself  In  view  than  of  the  uncertainty  of  obtaining 
one  I  would  Very  respectfully  suggest  that  leave  of  absence  on 
business  be  granted  me  say  from  the  first  of  November  untill  the 
first  of  May  thereby  precluding  the  necessity  of  building  an  office 
or  of  furnishing  Wood  for  the  Same  you  are  aware  that  the 
Indians  of  this  agency  have  left  for  their  Winter  hunt  and  will  not 
return  before  the  first  or  middle  of  June,  the  Service  therefore 
would  not  suffer  on  account  of  my  absence  I  desire  that  you 
would  give  me  your  opinion  and  advice  upon  the  matter  as  I  have 
no  desire  that  the  Service  shall  suffer  on  my  account  please  let 
me  hear  from  you  Soon  and  greatly  Oblige.  .  .  . 

CXLVII 

Luther  Mann,  Jr.,  Indian  Agent,  to  F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of 

Indian  Affairs,  dated  Fort  Bridger  Agency, 

September  12,  1868.286 

Sir:  In  compliance  with  the  regulations  of  the  Indian  depart- 
ment, I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report  relative  to 
the  affairs  of  this  agency. 

About  the  first  of  September,  1867,  the  Indians  under  my 
charge  (the  eastern  bands  of  Shoshones)  left  here  for  their  hunting 
grounds  in  the  Wind  River  valley.     There  had  then  recently 


285.  Utah  Field  Papers,  1868. 

286.  40th  Congress,  3rd  Session,  House  Executive  Document  1  (Serial 
1366)  pp.  616-619.  This  was  Mann's  last  annual  report  submitted  from  the 
Utah  Superintendency;  his  final  annual  report  from  the  Wyoming  Superin- 
tendency  and  dated  Fort  Bridger  Agency,  July  24,  1869,  is  published  in 
41st  Congress,  2nd  Session,  House  Executive  Document  1  (Serial  1414), 
part  3,  pp.  714-715. 


74  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

occurred  a  series  of  depredations  by  hostile  Indians  upon  prospec- 
tors and  camps  of  the  newly  discovered  Sweetwater  mining 
country,  and  threatenings  were  bitter  against  all  Indians.  As  this 
region  was  directly  in  the  route  of  the  Shoshones,  I  deemed  it 
advisable  to  precede  them  and  allay  the  ill  feeling  so  far  as  they 
were  concerned.  I  did  so,  assuring  the  miners  that  the  best  feeling 
existed  between  these  Indians  and  the  whites,  and  that  their  pres- 
ence in  the  valley  would  be  protection  against  any  more  raids  by 
the  Sioux,  which  proved  true,  all  hostilities  having  ceased  against 
the  miners  until  after  the  Shoshones  had  returned  to  this  agency. 

As  early  as  May  1,  1868,  advance  parties  reported  themselves. 
About  that  time  I  received  telegraphic  notice  from  General  John 
B.  Sanborn  that  the  peace  commission  would  visit  this  agency, 
the  4th  of  June,  and  requesting  all  Indians  under  my  control,  also 
the  Bannocks  of  this  vicinity,  to  be  assembled  by  that  time.  I 
immediately  sent  out  couriers  to  accomplish  this  object.  Through 
the  efforts  of  Tag-gee,  their  principal  chief,  I  succeeded  in  assem- 
bling about  800  Bannocks,  who  had  arrived  by  the  15th  May. 
By  telegram  I  was  authorized  to  purchase  subsistence  for  all 
Shoshones  and  Bannocks  until  the  arrival  of  the  commissioners. 
Owing  to  the  ill  condition  of  roads  in  their  route  they  were  unable 
to  reach  here  according  to  appointment,  and  in  consequence 
nearly  half  the  Bannocks  had  grown  impatient  and  left  for  their 
fishing  and  summer  resorts  before  the  arrival  of  General  C.  C. 
Augur,  who  represented  the  commission.  In  the  mean  while  a 
full  assemblage  of  the  Shoshones  was  accomplished,  notwithstand- 
ing the  annuities  were  withheld,  and  the  most  favorable  representa- 
tions made  to  them  of  the  benefits  to  result  by  remaining  to  meet 
the  commissioners;  even  a  few  restless  ones  among  these,  unable 
to  resist  their  roaming  inclinations,  and  therefore  not  present  either 
at  the  conference  of  distribution  of  annuities.  Immediately  upon 
his  arrival  General  Augur  had  an  informal  meeting  with  Washakie 
and  other  leading  men  of  the  Shoshones,  and  Tag-gee  of  the 
Bannocks,  informing  them  of  the  object  sought,  and  desiring  them 
to  communicate  with  their  tribes  preparatory  to  a  formal  meeting. 
On  the  3d  of  July  all  of  the  headmen  and  a  large  number  of  their 
followers  were  present,  and  had  explained  to  them  fully  the  terms 
of  a  treaty,  which  is  made  known  to  you  in  the  report  of  the 
commissioners.  The  result  of  this  meeting  was  the  acceptance  of 
a  treaty,  under  which  added  benefits  are  guaranteed,  and  a  reserva- 
tion in  the  country  of  their  choice  made  for  these  Indians.  It  is 
especially  gratifying  to  me  to  report  this  fact,  having  repeatedly 
urged  the  thing  accomplished  for  several  years. -"^^     The  meeting 


287.  Mann  had  urged  the  creation  of  a  reservation  for  the  Shoshoni  in 
the  Wind  River  country  in  every  annual  report,  beginning  in  1862. 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  75 

was  most  satisfactory,  and  I  trust  that  an  early  ratification  and 
appropriations  under  the  new  treaty  may  be  made  in  time  for  the 
goods  to  reach  the  Indians  by  their  next  annual  visit.  I  am  espe- 
cially desirous  that  such  may  be  accomplished  in  behalf  of  the 
Bannocks,  these  Indians  having  for  years  been  entitled  to  annuities 
under  a  former  treaty,  but  as  yet  deriving  no  "benefit  from  their 
faithful  observance  of  treaty  stipulations.  Following  the  signing 
of  the  treaty  a  valuable  present  was  made  them,  the  greatest  har- 
mony prevailing. 

The  relations  existing  between  the  Shoshones  and  Bannocks  are 
of  so  amicable  a  nature  that  it  is  hoped  they  may  yet  consent  to 
join  together  upon  one  reservation.  Indians  are  perhaps  more 
jealous  than  whites  of  such  rights  as  are  claimed  by  them,  and  I 
would  advise  that  time,  and  the  evident  advantages  of  such  an 
arrangement  as  it  will  develop,  may  be  allowed  to  accomplish  this 
object. 

The  Bannocks  are  greatly  in  minority,  and  to  urge  too  speedy 
occupation  of  one  ground  in  common  might  produce  a  change  in 
the  relations  of  these  tribes,  which  for  a  great  many  years  has  been 
harmonious. 

During  the  past  winter,  frequent  inroads  have  been  made  by 
northern  tribes  unfriendly  to  the  Shoshones,  and  their  hunting 
excursions  thereby  rendered  somewhat  less  successful  than  usual. 
The  enmity  existing  between  them  and  the  Nez  Perces,  Crows, 
Sioux,  Cheyennes,  and  Arapahoes  is  of  long  duration,  and  the 
raids  of  these  tribes  upon  their  hunting  parties  have  by  degrees 
deprived  them  of  no  inconsiderable  amount  of  stock  killed  and 
captured.  While  en  route  to  the  agency  this  spring  a  united  party 
of  Sioux,  Cheyennes,  and  Arapahoes,  about  300  warriors,  led  by 
a  son  of  Red  Cloud,  attacked  Washakie.  A  lengthy  fight  ensued. 
Their  leader  and  several  of  the  opposing  party  were  killed.  Four 
Shoshones  were  killed,  and  a  number  wounded,  who  have  mostly 
recovered.  The  attacking  party  captured  about  80  horses.  These 
were  a  party  of  the  same  combination  of  refractory  warriors  who 
refused  to  be  present  at  the  recent  visit  of  the  peace  commissioners 
at  Fort  Laramie,  who,  later,  killed  a  number  of  prospectors  in 
Wind  River  valley,  and  have  more  recently  committed  a  series  of 
atrocities  along  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  and  on  the  route  from 
Benton  to  South  Pass.  The  hostility  of  these  tribes  will  be  a 
temporary  drawback  to  the  peaceful  occupation  of  the  reservations 
allotted  to  the  Indians  of  this  agency.  An  effort  is  being  made 
on  the  part  of  the  Crows  to  procure  peace,  to  which  I  heard  no 
opposition  on  the  part  of  Washakie,  though  he  signified  his  desire 
that  for  that  purpose  they  meet  him  in  the  presence  of  some 
government  official.  I  sincerely  hope  that  the  late  treaties  with 
the  Sioux  and  their  confederates  will  be  the  means  of  withdrawing 


76  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

them  from  the  vicinity  of  the  Indians  under  my  care,  who  may 
then  speedily  secure  the  advantages  of  the  treaty  of  July  3,  1868, 
and  at  the  same  time,  to  themselves  and  their  property,  security 
while  hunting. 

A  decrease,  consequent  upon  their  losses  in  fight,  and  by  such 
diseases  as  are  prevalent,  is  manifest.  While  at  the  agency  the 
past  spring  a  number  of  deaths  occurred,  with  but  few  exceptions 
among  children.  The  diseases  most  fatal  have  been  whooping 
cough,  with  some  complication,  result  of  exposed  habits,  and 
diarrhoea  among  children.  Intermittent  and  continued  fevers  are 
frequent  and  severe  among  adults,  especially  women.  Such  deaths 
as  have  under  my  notice  occurred  among  adults  have  been  from 
old  age. 

The  long  detention  to  await  the  peace  commissioners,  already 
alluded  to,  gave  rise  to  impatience,  and  in  consequence,  when  I 
hoped  to  obtain  the  most  complete  estimate  of  population  I  found 
many  absent.  There  were  present  at  one  time,  of  both  tribes, 
about  1,750.  Of  these  450  were  Bannocks;  the  remainder  Sho- 
shones,  in  approximately  the  following  proportions:  Of  males 
between  the  ages  of  15  and  60  years,  400;  adult  females  and  girls 
over  12  years  old,  500;  the  remainder,  children  from  infancy  to 
10  years  old.  The  above  estimate  does  not  include  quite  half  of 
the  Bannocks,  who  under  the  new  treaty  are  placed  under  the 
control  of  this  agency.  The  proportions  are  about  the  same  as 
herein  detailed,  as  relating  to  ages  and  sexes  among  the  Shoshones. 

The  general  social  condition  of  the  Indians  in  my  care  is  good. 
A  few  small  bands  have  for  a  year  or  two  past  failed  to  visit  the 
buffalo  country,  being  unwilling  to  expose  their  property  to  the 
predatory  visits  of  hostile  Indians.  These  have  remained  near 
here,  on  Green  river,  where  a  sufficiency  of  game  is  found  to 
subsist  them,  and  whereby  they  obtain  a  large  quantity  of  salable 
skins.  This  diminution  of  his  strength  is  not  satisfactory  to 
Washakie;  hence  I  have  instructed  all  who  have  the  means  and 
are  not  too  aged  belonging  to  these  bands  to  follow  Washakie, 
impressing  them  with  the  fact  that  he  alone  is  recognized  as  their 
head,  and  assuring  them  that  if  they  expect  to  share  the  rewards 
they  must  participate  in  all  dangers  incident  to  the  tribe. 

For  the  purchase  of  medicines  and  medical  attentions,  and  for 
other  incidental  expenditures,  I  deem  a  small  contingent  fund  for 
the  use  of  this  agency  advisable.  Such  articles  of  traffic  as  the 
Indians  themselves  possess  are  usually  exhausted  in  the  purchase 
of  sugar,  coffee,  tea,  and  ammunition,  articles  very  scantily  and 
mostly  not  at  all  supplied  among  annuities.  Every  year  numbers 
of  them  bring  me  arms  needing  repairs,  funds  for  which  purpose  I 
am  not  supplied  with;  hence  I  have  either  to  supply  them  from 
private  means,  which  I  do  not  think  the  salary  of  this  office 
justifies,  or  I  have  to  refuse  them  altogether.  ,  ,  . 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  77 

CXLVIII 

Luther  Mann,  Jr.,  Indian  Agent,  to  F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of 
Indian  Affairs,  dated  Fort  Bridger,  Sept.  14,  1868.-^^ 

Sir 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  Statistical  reports  of 
Education  and  Farming  There  is  Very  little  to  reporte  on  these 
Subjects  No  Schools  and  no  farming  I  hope  the  reports  will  be 
satisfactory  if  not  please  instruct.  .  .  . 

CXLIX 

F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of  Indian  Affairs,  to  N.  G.  Taylor, 

Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  dated  Salt  Lake  City, 

Sept.  16,  1868.     Extract. ~^^ 

Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  my  annual  report  of  the 
general  condition  of  Indian  affairs  within  the  Utah  superintendency 
for  the  past  year. 

INDIAN   population 

The  numbers  and  classification  of  the  Indians  within  this 
superintendency  as  given  in  my  last  annual  report  is,  I  am  satisfied 
from  careful  investigation  made  during  the  past  year,  substantially 
correct.  For  convenience  of  reference  the  tabular  statement  is 
repeated,  and  is  as  follows: 

Tribes  speaking  the  Utah  language. 

1.  Uintas _ 100 

2.  Timpanoags  _.. 800 

3.  Sanpitches 400 

4.  Yampah-Utes 500 

5.  Fish-Utes 100 

6.  Goshen-Utes 400 

7.  Pah-Vents 1,500 

8.  Pah-Edes 4,000 

9.  Pah-Utes 1,600 

10.  Pahranagats 700 

11.  She-ba-retches 1,500 

12.  Elk  Mountain  Utes 2,500 


15,300 


288.  Utah  Field  Papers,  1868. 

289.  40th  Congress,  3rd  Session,  House  Executive  Document  1   (Serial 
1366)  pp.  608-614. 


78 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Tribes  speaking  the  Shoshone  language. 

1.  Eastern  Shoshones  2,000 

2.  Northwestern  Shoshones 1,800 

3.  Western  Shoshones  2,000 


5,800 

Tribes  speaking  dialects  containing  both  Utah,  Shoshone,  and 
Bannock  words: 

1.  Cum-min-tahs,  or  Weber  Utes.  This  tribe  is  formed 
from  numbers  of  different  Utah  and  Shoshone  bands,  the 
Utah  element  largely  predominating  in  their  language, 
and  numbers  about 650 

2.  Goship,  or  Gosha  Utes.  This  tribe  is  similarly  formed 
to  that  last  named,  the  Shoshone  element,  however, 
largely  predominating.  There  are  also  numerous  Ban- 
nock words  in  their  language,  and  many  Goships  marry 
Bannock  squaws.    They  number  about 1,100 

3.  Mixed  bands  of  Bannocks  and  Shoshones.  About  three- 
fourths  of  this  tribe  are  Shoshones,  and  one-fourth  Ban- 
nocks. This  tribe,  as  its  name  indicates,  is  formed  from 
the  two  tribes  last  mentioned.  Its  members  speak  a 
language  mostly  of  Shoshone  words,  although  some  of 
the  more  recent  additions  to  the  band  speak  only  the 
Bannock  tongue.     This  tribe  numbers — 

Shoshones  1,800 

Bannocks    600 

2,400 


4,150 

Recapitulation. 

Utah  tribes 15,300 

Shoshones  5,800 

Mixed  tribes 4,150 


25,250 


THE   EASTERN   SHOSHONES. 

This  band  has  been,  since  1861,  under  the  immediate  care  of 
Agent  Luther  Mann.  Chief  Washakee  retains  the  same  upright 
and  manly  character  he  has  ever  sustained  from  the  first  settlement 
of  Utah.  His  control  over  his  Indians  is  more  absolute  than  that 
of  any  other  chief  within  the  superintendency,  and  such  influence 
is  uniformity  [sic]  exercised  wisely  and  for  the  best  interests  of 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  79 

the  Indian.  In  the  full  and  well-considered  report  of  Agent  Mann, 
which  is  herewith  transmitted,  a  detailed  account  is  given  of  the 
conference  between  General  Augur,  of  the  Indian  peace  commis- 
sion, and  the  eastern  Shoshones  and  Bannocks,  with  its  successful 
results.  The  setting  apart  of  a  portion  of  the  Wind  River  valley 
as  a  reservation  for  the  eastern  Shoshones  is  calculated  to  per- 
petuate the  good  feeling  now  existing  between  these  and  the  whites, 
since  this  has  long  been  an  object  of  their  most  ardent  desire. 

WESTERN  AND  NORTHWESTERN  SHOSHONES. 

No  especial  effort  has  yet  been  made  to  engage  the  northwestern 
Shoshones  in  agricultural  pursuits.  They  are  very  anxious  to  have 
cattle  given  to  them,  from  which  to  raise  stock;  and  during  the 
past  summer  I  presented  to  some  of  their  most  reliable  chiefs 
fifteen  cows,  which  they  promised  to  keep  as  breeding  animals.  I 
visited  them  again  a  few  days  since,  and  found  that  they  had  as 
yet  eaten  none  of  the  cows.  They  promised  faithfully  that  these 
cows  and  their  increase  should  be  kept  until  they  had  a  large  herd 
of  cattle  of  their  own.  The  western  Shoshones  during  the  past 
year  have  shown  a  most  commendable  zeal  in  their  farming  opera- 
tions. At  Deep  creek  and  at  Ruby  valley  are  the  two  principal 
bands  of  the  tribe,  numbering  about  600  each.  Shortly  after  my 
last  annual  report,  when  I  visited  the  tribe,  I  gave  to  them  some 
working  oxen  and  ploughs,  and  in  the  spring  furnished  them  some 
seed  grain.  With  very  slight  aid  from  a  white  man  at  each  place, 
to  occasionally  instruct  them  in  the  manner  of  their  cultivation, 
they  have  put  in  about  forty  acres  of  land,  the  crops  upon  which 
are  excellent,  and  will  greatly  aid  in  their  support  during  the 
coming  winter.  Their  success  has  greatly  encouraged  them,  and 
they  are  eager  to  engage  still  more  extensively  in  farming  the 
coming  year. 


EDUCATION  AND  WEALTH. 

No  schools  or  missions  of  any  character  have  been  established 
among  any  of  the  tribes  within  this  superintendency. 

Some  tribes  have  a  considerable  number  of  ponies,  some  also 
a  few  goats  and  cattle.    The  number  of  each  is  as  follows: 

Ponies.  Cattle.  Goats. 

Eastern  Shoshone  and  Bannock 700 

Northwestern  Shoshones 166 

Western  Shoshones  90 

Weber  Utes 70 

Goships 50 

Pah-Vents 175 

Uintah  Utes,  Yampah  Utes,  Fish  Utes 1,200 

Total  2,451  171         67 


30 

30 

5 

6 

4 

2 

6 

100 

55 

80  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Price.       Average  value. 

Ponies    $30  $735  30 

Cattle 40  68  40 

Goats  3  2  01 

Total  wealth  

805  71 

The  country  occupied  by  many  of  the  tribes  is  nearly  destitute 
of  game.  The  eastern  Shoshones  and  Bannocks  range  during  the 
winter  in  a  country  abounding  in  buffalo,  and  take  annually  robes 
of  the  value  of  almost  $20,000.  They  also  take  considerable 
numbers  of  deer  and  beaver  skins.  The  Indians  ranging  along  the 
Uintah,  White,  and  Green  rivers  take  beaver  and  buck  skins  of  the 
annual  value  of  about  $8,000.  The  value  of  furs  and  skins  taken 
by  other  tribes  is  about  $6,000,  making  a  total  value  of  $34,000 
for  robes,  skins,  and  furs,  taken  by  all  the  tribes.  There  is  a  de- 
mand among  the  settlers  for  home  use  for  all  the  robes,  furs,  and 
skins,  and  the  Indians  take  them  principally  to  the  settlements  for 
sale  and  receive  for  them  probably  more  nearly  their  actual  value 
than  in  any  other  portion  of  the  United  States.  With  the  increase 
of  the  population  the  game  of  every  sort  disappears,  and  this 
resource  of  the  Indians  is  becoming  less  valuable  and  reliable  every 
year. 


APPROPRIATIONS. 

The  appropriations  for  the  Indian  service  in  this  superintend- 
ency,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  Indians  therein,  are  much 
smaller  than  in  any  other  portion  of  the  United  States.  For  the 
current  year  the  usual  appropriations  have  been  largely  reduced. 
This  is  especially  unfortunate,  since,  owing  to  the  near  approach 
of  the  Pacific  railroad  and  the  increased  demand  for  supplies 
engendered  thereby,  the  prices  of  beef  and  flour  have  considerably 
advanced.  The  fact  that  the  Indians  within  this  superintendency 
are  peaceable  and  friendly  should  induce  increased  liberality  on 
the  part  of  the  paternal  government  rather  than  a  reduction  of 
the  supplies  to  which  they  have  been  accustomed.  Starvation 
leads  to  stealing,  and  stealing  to  war,  with  its  fearful  and  costly 
train  of  evils,  retarding  the  settlement  of  this  country  and  the 
development  of  its  agricultural  and  mineral  resources,  imperilling 
the  safety  and  speed  of  mail  and  passenger  transit  across  the 
continent,  and  deranging  the  commerce  of  the  entire  Pacific 
coast.  .  .  . 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  81 

CL 

Brevet  Major  General  C.  C.  Augur  to  the  President  of 

THE  Indian  Peace  Commission,  dated  Headquarters 

Department  of  the  Platte,  Omaipa,  Neb., 

October  4,  1 868.290 

Sir. 

At  the  last  meeting  of  this  Commission,  held  at  Fort  Laramie, 
A.D.  May  9th  1868,  it  was  "Resolved,"  That  General  Augur 
proceed  to  Fort  Bridger,  to  make  arrangements  with  the  Snakes, 
Bannacks,  and  other  Indians  along  the  line  of  the  Union  Pacific 
R.  R.  in  Utah."  The  "arrangements"  referred  to  in  the  resolution, 
were  understood  to  be  the  making  of  a  treaty  with  the  tribes 
referred  to,  on  the  same  basis  as  those  made  with  the  Sioux  and 
other  tribes  already  treated  with  by  the  Commission.  The  "Snakes 
and  Bannacks"  were  the  only  tribes  it  was  Supposed  I  would  meet, 
and  these  had  been  notified  through  their  agent  to  meet  me  at 
Fort  Bridger  on  the  1 5th  of  June.  Certain  presents  for  them  had 
been  already  ordered  by  the  Commission,  and  were  then  Supposed 
to  be  on  their  way  to  them. 

In  pursuance  of  the  above-cited  resolution  I  proceeded  to  Fort 
Bridger,  where  I  arrived  on  the  15  th  of  June,  and  found  the 
Indians  already  assembled  in  that  vicinity.  But  the  presents  had 
not  arrived,  and  it  was  found  that  by  reason  of  bad  roads  and 
high  waters,  they  could  not  reach  there  under  two  weeks.  The 
indians  preferred  to  wait  until  their  arrival,  before  "talking."  The 
goods  eventually  arrived,  and  I  held  a  council  with  the  assembled 
tribes  on  the  3rd  day  of  July.  All  of  Wash-a-kees'  band  or  the 
"North-eastern  band  of  Shoshones"  and  which  really  constitutes 
the  principal  part  of  the  Shoshone  nation,  and  the  larger  part  of 
the  Bannacks  under  the  head  chief  of  the  nation  "Taggie"  were 
present,  and  participated  in  the  council.  Washakee  claims  in 
general  terms  as  being  the  country  of  his  people,  all  the  country 
lying  between  the  paraUell  of  the  highest  point  of  the  Winter  [cor- 
rected to  Uinta]  Mountains,  and  that  of  the  Wind  river  valley,  and 
between  the  meridian  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  the  line  of  the  North 
Platte  rivers  to  the  mouth  of  the  Sweetwater.  "Taggie"  claims 
for  the  Bannacks  in  terms  more  general  even,  all  the  country 
about  Soda  Spring,  the  Porte  Neuf  river  and  the  big  Kamas  prairie 
to  the  northwest  of  it.^^^ 


290.  Office  of  Indian  Affairs,  Irregularly  Sized  Papers,  Drawer  6,  No.  5. 

291.  The  Kamas  Prairie  here  described  seems  not  to  have  been  the  one 
identified  in  Document  LXXXVI,  note  183,  but  the  valley  of  Camas  Creek, 
a  western  tributary  of  the  present  Big  Wood  River,  southeast  of  modern 
Boise. 


82  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

I  Spoke  to  the  Chiefs  as  follows: — 

"Washakee,  Taggie,  and  Chiefs  of  the  Shoshones  and  Bannacks. 

About  a  year  ago,  the  great  council  and  your  great 
Father  in  Washington  sent  out  a  Commission  to  have  a  talk  with 
the  Indian  tribes  in  the  west, — to  make  peace  with  such  as  were 
hostile,  and  to  arrange  with  all  of  them  that  hereafter,  there  should 
be  no  more  war  between  the  white  men  and  the  Indians.  This 
Commission  have  already  made  treaties  of  peace  with  the  Chey- 
ennes,  Arapahoes,  Kiowas,  and  Comanches,  and  most  of  the 
Sioux.  Part  of  them  are  now  treating  with  the  remaining  Sioux 
and  part  have  gone  to  meet  the  Navajoes  in  New  Mexico.  I  have 
been  Sent  to  meet  and  talk  with  you.  The  Shoshones  and  Ban- 
nacks are  at  peace  with  the  whites,  and  have  been  for  years.  All 
we  have  to  do  therefor,  is  to  so  arrange  matters,  that  there  may 
never  hereafter  be  cause  of  war  between  them.  There  are  a 
great  many  white  men  in  your  country  now,  and  as  soon  as  the 
Railroad  is  completed  there  will  be  many  more.  They  will  wish 
to  remain  and  make  homes  here,  and  your  great  Father  desires 
that  they  should  do  so,  and  he  will  make  the  Same  arrangements 
for  acquiring  such  title  as  you  have  to  this  country,  as  the  com- 
mission has  heretofore  made  with  the  other  Indian  tribes.  He 
wishes  however,  to  set  apart  a  portion  of  it  for  your  permanent 
homes,  and  into  which  no  white  men  will  be  permitted  to  come 
or  Settle.  Upon  this  reservation  he  wishes  you  to  go  with  all  your 
people  as  soon  as  possible,  and  to  make  it  your  permanent  home, 
but  with  permission  to  hunt  wherever  you  can  find  game.  In  a 
few  years  the  game  will  become  Scarce,  and  you  will  not  find 
sufficient  to  support  your  people.  You  will  then  have  to  live  in 
Some  other  way  than  by  hunting  and  fishing.  He  wishes  you 
therefore  to  go  to  this  reservation  now,  and  commence  to  grow 
wheat  and  corn,  and  raise  cattle  and  horses,  so  that  when  the 
game  is  gone  you  will  be  prepared  to  live  independently  of  it. 
Your  agent  will  live  there  with  you,  and  you  will  be  provided 
with  Store-houses,  and  Saw  mills  and  grist  mills  to  make  your 
flour,  and  a  place  to  teach  your  children.  Men  will  be  Sent  to 
teach  you  to  cultivate  your  farm,  and  a  blacksmith  and  a  carpenter 
will  be  Sent  to  assist  you,  and  a  physician  to  cure  you  when  sick 
so  that  in  a  few  years  your  people  will  be  able  to  live  comfortably 
in  their  new  homes.  No  people  prosper  who  are  continually  at 
war.  Your  great  Father  desires  therefore,  that  you  should  remain 
at  peace,  not  only  with  white  men,  but  with  all  other  Indian  tribes. 
Should  you  be  at  war  now  with  other  tribes,  or  have  cause  of 
complaint  against  them,  he  will  try  to  arrange  matters  between 
you,  without  your  going  to  war,  or  continuing  it.  It  is  desirable 
too,  that  as  ma[n]y  Indians  as  possible  be  gathered  together  on 
one  reservation.  More  can  be  done  for  them  in  this  way  then  [sic] 
if  they  are  Scattered  over  the  country  in  Small  reservations.  He 
wishes  the  Shoshones  and  Bannacks  to  be  together,  where  you 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  83 

can  have  one  agent  to  attend  to  you,  and  the  benefit  of  the  Same 
men  sent  to  instruct  and  care  for  you.  I  will  have  a  treaty  pre- 
pared embracing  all  that  is  proposed  to  be  done  for  you.  Its 
provisions  will  be  carefully  explained  to  you  by  the  interpreter.  I 
wish  you  to  examine  it  carefully  and  to  understand  it  before  you 
sign  it,  for  after  it  is  signed  and  approved  by  your  great  Father 
and  the  great  Council  in  Washington  we  will  all  have  to  be 
guided  by  it,  it  will  be  the  great  bond  of  peace  between  us.  I  have 
now  done,  and  will  hear  you  speak." 

The  following  minutes  of  the  reply  of  Washakee  and  Taggee 
were  taken  down  at  the  time  and  are  Substantially  correct: 

Washakee  chief  of  the  Shoshones  was  apparently  greatly  pleased 
and  spoke  in  effect  as  follows.  I  am  laughing  because  I  am  happy. 
Because  my  heart  is  good.  As  I  said  two  days  ago,  I  like  the 
country  you  mentioned,  then,  for  us,  the  Wind  river  valley.  Now 
I  see  my  friends  are  around  me,  and  it  is  pleasant  to  meet  and 
shake  hands  with  them.  I  always  find  friends  along  the  roads  in 
this  country,  about  Bridger,  that  is  why  I  come  here.  It  is  good 
to  have  the  Railroad  through  this  country  and  I  have  come  down 
to  see  it."^-  When  we  want  to  grow  Something  to  east  and  hunt 
I  want  the  Wind  river  Country.  In  other  Indian  countries,  there 
is  danger,  but  here  about  Bridger,  all  is  peaceful  for  whites  and 
indians  and  safe  for  all  to  travel.  When  the  white  man  came 
into  my  country  and  cut  the  wood  and  made  the  roads  my  heart 
was  good,  and  I  was  Satisfied.  You  have  heard  what  I  want.  The 
Wind  river  Country  is  the  one  for  me.  We  may  not  for  one,  two 
or  three  years  be  able  to  till  the  ground.  The  Sioux  may  trouble 
us.  But  when  the  Sioux  are  taken  care  of,  we  can  do  well.  Will 
the  whites  be  allowed  to  build  houses  on  our  reservation?  I  do 
not  object  to  traders  coming  among  us,  and  care  nothing  about 
the  miners  and  mining  country  when  they  are  getting  out  gold. 
I  may  bye  and  bye  get  Some  of  that  myself.  I  want  for  my  home 
the  valley  of  Wind  river  and  lands  on  its  tributaries  as  far  east  as 
the  Popo-agie,  and  want  the  privilege  of  going  over  the  mountains 
to  hunt  where  I  please." 

Taggie  chief  of  the  Bannacks  then  speaks. 

As  far  away  as  Virginia  City  our  tribe  has  roamed.  But  I  want 
the  Porte-neuf  country  and  Kamas  plains. ^^^ 

Quest.  Why  cannot  the  Bannacks  and  Shoshones  get  on 
together  on  the  same  reservation? 

Taggie  replied — we  are  friends  with  the  Shoshones  and  like  to 
hunt  with  them,  but  we  want  a  home  for  ourselves. 


292.  At  this  time,  July,  1868,  the  Union  Pacific  railhead  had  reached 
only  the  Laramie  Plains,  but  the  roadbed  was  being  graded  as  far  west  as 
the  valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake. 

293.  This  reiterated  desire  for  the  Kamas  Prairie  was  hopeless;  the  Fort 
Hall  Reservation  was  limited  by  the  south  bank  of  the  Snake  River, 


84  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Question  by  the  Commission.  If  you  have  a  separate  home 
can  you  and  the  Shoshones  get  along  with  one  agency  and  come 
to  the  Shoshone  reservation  for  your  annuities? 

Taggie.  We  want  to  receive  anything  that  is  for  us  on  our  own 
ground. 

Taggie  was  then  told  that  at  present  the  Commissioner,  was 
not  Sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  country  they  wanted  to  mark 
out  a  reservation,  but  that  when  the  Bannacks  were  ready  to  go 
on  a  reservation,  the  President  would  Send  Some  one  to  lay  off 
one,  which  shall  include  portions  of  the  country  they  want  and 
that  until  the  Shoshones  go  on  their  reservation  in  the  Wind  river 
valley,  the  goods  for  the  Bannacks  will  be  delivered  at  Bridger, 
separate  from  those  for  the  Shoshones.  Such  buildings  as  the 
Government  thinks  they  require,  will  be  built  on  the  reservation. 
If  hereafter  the  Bannacks  and  Shoshones  agree  to  go  on  the  Same 
reservation,  they  will  all  have  the  same  buildings. 

Tomorrow  the  4th  of  July,  the  Commission  wants  all  the  head 
men  of  the  Shoshones  and  Bannacks  to  come  here,  at  twelve  12 
o'clock  to  sign  the  treaty. 

The  great  Father  at  Washington  and  the  grand  Council  have 
always  known  Washakee  as  a  good  friend  of  the  white  man,  and 
look  upon  him  as  chief  of  the  Shoshones  and  good  adviser  of  all 
the  peaceful  tribes  about  here.  He  always  gives  them  good  advice, 
and  we  hope  they  will  always  follow  it. 

The  following  day,  the  chiefs  again  assembled,  and  the  Treaty 
was  interpreted  to  them.  Article  by  Article.  It  was  perfectly 
Satisfactory  to  them  and  was  signed  by  all  the  Chiefs  present. 
The  treaty  is  herewith  respectfully  submitted  to  the  Commission. 

In  connection  herewith,  I  desire  to  Submit  a  copy  of  a  memor- 
andum made  for  me  by  Mr.  Head,  Superintendent  of  Indian 
Affairs  of  Utah. 

On  the  2^  day  of  July,  1863,  Governor  Doty  pursuant  to  instruc- 
tions from  the  Indian  Bureau  concluded  a  treaty  with  the  Eastern 
Shoshonees,  providing  for  the  payment  of  an  annuity  of  $10,000 — 
they  ceding  rights  of  way,  &c. 

On  the  30th  of  same  month,  he  concluded  a  treaty  in  all  respects 
similar  with  N.  W.  Shoshonees;  they  receiving  an  annuity  of 
$5000,  and  Octo  1,  of  same  year,  a  similar  treaty  with  Western 
bands — providing  for  same  annuity. 

After  these  treaties  were  concluded  he  made  a  similar  treaty  with 
the  "mixed  bands  of  Bannocks  and  Shoshonees"  at  Soda  Springs, 
Idaho,  by  which  it  was  provided  that  they  should  share  in  the 
annuities  of  the  Shoshonees. 

When  this  treaty  went  before  the  Senate  for  confirmation,  it 
was  amended  by  the  addition  of  a  new  article  and  directed  to  be 
re-submitted  to  the  tribe  for  ratification,  which  has  never  been 
done. 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  85 

The  treaty  as  made  by  Gov.  Doty  requires  to  be  modified  in 
two  particulars — 

1^^  By  adding  the  new  article  pursuant  to  the  requirement  of 
the  Senate. 

2'^.  By  striking  out  the  last  ten  words  of  Article  2,  of  said 
treaty  and  inserting  in  lieu  thereof  the  words  "receiving  the  same 
annuity  as  the  Northwestern  bands  of  the  Shoshonee  nation." 

It  is  impossible  to  reconcile  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  as  made, 
with  good  faith  on  the  part  of  the  Government  toward  the  Sho- 
shonees.  It  simply  diverts  from  them,  a  portion  of  their  annuity, 
without  their  Consent. 

The  original  treaty,  with  the  Senate  amendment  are  enclosed. 

(Signed)  F.  H.  Head. 
Supt. 

Under  this  defective  arrangement  the  Bannacks  have  never 
received  a  cent  from  the  Government,  except  a  few  casual  presents 
the  Superintendent  was  able  to  give  them  from  funds  of  an 
incidental  nature. 

I  am  also  advised  by  Superintendent  Head  and  Agent  Mann  at 
Fort  Bridger  that  it  is  a  Misnomer  to  call  them  "the  mixed  Bands 
of  Bannacks  and  Shoshonees."  That  no  such  band  exists  and 
never  did.  The  band  treated  with  by  Governor  Doty  as  the 
Shoshonee  Goship  Band — is  not  a  band  of  Shoshonees  at  all,  but 
a  band  of  Utes,  known  as  Gosha  Utes  after  their  chief  Gosho.^^^ 
Still  they  are  drawing  their  annuities  and  have  been,  as  a  band  of 
Shoshonees  known  as  the  Northwestern  and  Southwestern  bands 
are  inconsiderable  ones,  and  that  their  annuities  not  being  per 
capita  are  probably  out  of  proportion  to  those  given  by  present 
treaties  to  Shoshonee  band. 

The  presents  to  the  Indians  at  Bridger  were  issued  to  them  by 
their  Agent  and  Colonel  Morrow,  Commanding  officer  Fort 
Bridger,  and  the  necessary  receipts  are  here  presented.  The  issue 
was  in  the  name  of  General  Sanborn,  as  the  purchases  were  made 
by  him. 

I  also  procurd  for  them  from  the  post  of  Fort  Bridger,  thirty- 
seven  old  arms  and  two  thousand  cartridges.  These  are  invoiced 
also  to  General  Sanborn.  On  my  return  I  visited  the  Sweetwater 
mines  which  are  about  thirty  mlies  south  of  the  proposed  reserva- 


294.  Head's  views  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  the  Gosiute,  as  now 
called,  linguistically  have  been  found  by  ethnologists  to  be  wholly  Shoshoni. 
See  Julian  H.  Steward,  Basin-Plateau  Aboriginal  Sociopolitical  Groups 
(Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  Bulletin  120),  Washington,  1938,  pp. 
133-134.  The  chief  from  whom  it  is  presumed  the  Gosiutes  took  their 
name  died  so  long  before  as  1850,  as  recorded  in  the  MS.  Journal  of  Lieut. 
John  W.  Gunnison  with  the  Stansbury  Survey,  1849-1850,  Records  of  the 
U.  S.  Topographical  Engineers,  National  Archives. 


86  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

tion  for  the  Shoshonees.  I  found  the  miners  there  entirely  satisfied 
with  the  location  of  the  reservation,  and  in  fact  rather  pleased,  as 
the  location  of  friendly  bands  there  would  be  a  protection  to  them 
against  the  hostile  Sioux  and  Blackfeet. 

In  connection  with  the  recent  departure  of  Spotted  Tail  and 
others  [of  the  Sioux]  for  their  reservation,  I  have  to  report  that 
on  the  6th  of  Sept.  I  sent  for  Spotted  Tail  to  come  in  as  I  wished 
to  see  him  about  going  to  reservation.  I  also  requested  Colonel 
[H.  B.]  Denman,  Supt.  Indian  Affairs  [northern  Superintend- 
ency],  to  have  the  other  bands  sent  for  to  come  in  at  the  same 
time.    I  went  on  the  8th  to  North  Platte  to  meet  them. 

Spotted  Tail  with  Seventy  three  Lodges. 

Swift  Bear       "    Thirty-four  " 

Ogallallas     white  Eyes 

(walk  under  the  ground)  Thirty  " 

Brules,  Iron  Shell  and  Bad  Hand  Twenty  four  " 

Lower  Brules,  Big  Foot    Eighteen  " 

In  addition,  were  many  families  living  under  bushes  and  pieces 
of  canvas  reported  equivalent  to  twelve  lodges.  Making  all- 
together  Two  Hundred  and  Three  lodges — a  little  exceeding  twelve 
hundred  souls.  Iron  Shell  I  did  not  see  he  being  already  on 
Thickwood  Creek.  Spotted  Tail,  claimed  that  by  the  arrangement 
at  Laramie  he  and  his  people  were  to  be  permitted  to  remain  on 
Republican  [fork  of  Kansas  River]  this  winter,  and  go  to  reserva- 
tion next  spring.  I  explained  to  him  that  [it]  would  be  impossible 
for  him  to  remain  there  without  becoming  involved  in  war,  and 
that  I  advised  him  to  go  at  once  with  all  his  people  to  his  reserva- 
tion. 

After  some  consultation  among  themselves  he  replied  that  he 
would  go,  and  all  those  with  him.  That  he  had  separated  himself 
from  the  Indians  on  the  Republican  and  would  never  have  any- 
thing more  to  do  with  them — that  they  had  acted  very  badly  and 
that  he  would  never  try  to  do  anything  more  for  them.  I  asked 
him  what  reasons  those  Indians  assigned  for  their  recent  outbreak. 
He  replied  None, — they  did  not  pretend  to  have  any  excuse  or 
cause  of  complaint,  that  the  Cheyennes,  or  most  of  their  young 
men  had  never  wanted  peace,  and  were  tired  of  it. 

Superintendent  Denman  detailed  interpreter  Tod  Randall  to 
accompany  these  Indians  to  the  reservation.  I  hired  fifteen  wagons 
for  their  use,  to  be  paid  the  same  that  was  paid  for  those  that  went 
with  first  party,  and  bought  provisions  and  a  small  quantity  of 
clothing  and  ammunition  The  provisions  and  what  ammunition  I 
gave  them  I  placed  under  the  charge  of  the  interpreter.  They  left 
North  Platte  on  the  18th  September. 

I  submit  copies  of  two  letters  just  received  from  Laramie  and 
Fetterman  on  the  subject  of  Indian  Affairs. 

I  neglected  to  mention  in  the  proper  connection  that  I  found 
it  impossible  to  induce  the  Shoshonees  and  Bannacks  to  unite  in 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  •  87 

accepting  a  common  reservation.  AUthough  friendly  and  allies, 
they  each  prefer  to  live  in  their  own  country.  I  do  not  think  it 
improbable  however,  that  the  Bannacks  may  be  induced  eventually 
to  go  to  the  Shoshonee  reservation,  and  that  the  latter  will  consent 
to  this  arrangement.  .  .  . 

CLI 

James  Van  Allen  Carter,  Interpreter,  to  F.  H.  Head,  Supt. 

OF  Indian  Affairs,  dated  Fort  Bridger,  Wyoming, 

Jan.  11.  1868  [1869]295 

Dear  Sir:  I  enclose  a  communication  addressed  to  Col.  Mann, 
which  came  under  address  of  Judge  Carter.  This  is  the  first  time 
I  have  heard  this  complaint,  but  I  am  quite  fearful  that  Major  B's 
influence  is  not  in  the  interests  of  the  Indians  upon  other  matters. 
He  is  much  dissatisfied  with  the  treaty  made  here  in  July  last  &  has, 
I  have  heard,  used  his  influence  to  awaken  opposition  to  it  upon 
the  part  of  the  settlers  in  their  country. -^^' 

As  to  this  matter  you  have  in  this  letter  such  evidence  as  myself. 

I  hand  it  to  you  supposing  if  anyone  may,  you  can  remedy  the 
matter.  ... 

CLII 

F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of  Indian  Affairs,  to  E.  S.  Parker, 

Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  dated  Salt  Lake  City, 

April  29,  1 869.2^7 

Sir. 

On  the  22^  day  of  Feb.  ult.  in  a  communication  to  your  prede- 
cessor I  urged  the  immediate  purchase  of  certain  goods  to  the 
amount  of  $3500.  or  thereabouts  from  the  appropriation  for  ful- 
filling treaty  with  Eastern  Shoshonees  If  such  goods  have  not 
already  been  purchased  and  forwarded,  I  would  respectfully  urge 
that  they  be  so  purchased  and  shipped  at  once — The  Indians  will 
be  at  the  Agency  in  about  a  month  to  receive  their  annuities  and 
dissatisfaction  can  scarcely  fail  to  ensue  from  the  amount  of  goods 


295.  Utah  Field  Papers,  1868.  Both  the  context  and  the  reference  to 
Wyoming  in  the  heading  demonstrate  that  the  letter  is  misdated  1868. 
James  Van  Allen  Carter,  who  was  born  Feb.  4,  1838,  was  not  a  blood 
relation  of  W.  A.  Carter,  but  married  his  daughter  Annie  and  lived  at  Fort 
Bridger  until  his  death,  Jan.  5,  1896. 

296.  Is  the  reference  perhaps  to  Jim  Bridger?  He  left  the  mountains 
in  the  late  summer  of  1868  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  at  Westport, 
though  it  is  said  that  in  the  fall  of  1868  he  went  out  to  Fort  Hays,  Kansas, 
in  an  unavailing  effort  to  dissuade  General  P.  H.  Sheridan  from  his  winter 
campaign  into  the  Indian  Territory.     See  Alter,  op.  cit.,  p.  474. 

297.  H/154-1869. 


88  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

now  on  hand,  being  so  much  less  than  they  have  usually  received, 
as  stated  in  my  former  letter.  .  .  . 

CLIII 

E.   S.   Parker,   Commissioner  of   Indian  Affairs,   to  J.   E. 

TOURTELOTTE,  SUPT.   INDIAN  AFFAIRS,  DATED  WASHINGTON, 

D.  C,  June  25,  1869.     Extract.-''^ 
Sir 

The  Special  Agency  for  the  Bannocks  and  Shoshonees  hereto- 
fore under  the  Utah  Superintendency,  being  now  within  the  bounds 
of  Wyoming  Territory,-'^'-*  will  hereafter  be  embraced  in  the  Super- 
intendency for  Wyoming  Territory,  and  the  Agent  to  be  appointed 
for  it,  will  report  to  the  Governor  of  that  Territory  who,  by  virtue 
of  his  office  as  Governor,  is  Ex  Officio  Superintendent  of  Indian 
Affairs.  .  .  . 

CLIV 

F.  H.  Head,  Supt.  of  Indian  Affairs,  to  E.  S.  Parker, 

Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  dated  Great  Salt  Lake 

City,  Aug.  1,  1869.    Extract. ^^^ 

Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  my  last  annual  report  of  the 
condition  and  progress  of  Indian  affairs  within  the  whole  super- 
intendency. 

population. 

In  my  previous  annual  reports  as  full  and  accurate  classification 
and  numbering  of  the  different  tribes  as  it  was  practicable  to 
obtain  have  been  given.  My  investigations  during  the  year  have 
satisfied  me  that  the  census  heretofore  transmitted  is  substantially 
correct.  Since  my  last  report,  however,  the  Territory  of  Wyoming 
has  been  organized,  and  the  Eastern  Shoshones  and  mixed  bands 
of  Bannacks  and  Shoshones  heretofore  in  Utah  superintendency 


298.  Utah  Field  Papers,  1869.  Col.  J.  E.  Tourtelotte  succeeded  F.  H. 
Head  as  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs  in  Utah  in  1869,  an  appointee 
of  the  new  Grant  administration,  which  adopted  the  policy  of  appointing 
unassigned  army  officers  to  posts  within  the  Indian  Bureau.  Under  the 
same  circumstances,  Luther  Mann,  Jr.,  was  replaced  as  Agent  for  the 
Shoshoni  and  Bannacks  by  Capt.  J.  H.  Patterson.  This  policy  was  over- 
turned when  Congress  subsequently  provided  that  officers  remaining  in 
the  Indian  service  must  resign  their  commissions  in  the  Army. 

299.  Wyoming  Territory  was  created  July  25,  1868,  and  organized 
April  15,  1869. 

300.  41st  Congress,  2nd  Session,  House  Executive  Document  1  (Serial 
1414),  Part  3,  pp.  668-671.  The  use  of  "Great  Salt  Lake  City"  in  the 
heading  was  anachronistic,  the  Utah  legislature  in  1868  having  shortened 
the  name  to  Salt  Lake  City. 


WASHAKIE  AND  THE  SHOSHONI  89 

have  been  transferred  to  Wyoming  superintendency.  This  would 
reduce  the  number  of  Indians  in  Utah  superintendency  nearly  five 
thousand.  In  my  last  report  the  number  was  stated  to  be  twenty- 
five  thousand.  The  natural  decrease  would  be  nearly  one 
thousand.  This,  and  the  transfer  above  named,  would  leave  the 
number  of  Indians  in  this  superintendency  at  the  date  of  this 
report  nineteen  thousand.  .  .  . 

FURS   AND   SKINS. 

Since  the  transfer  of  the  Eastern  Shoshones  to  Wyoming  super- 
intendency, there  are  no  Indians  in  the  Territory  who  range  over 
other  than  a  desert  country  nearly  destitute  of  game.  The  Indians 
upon  the  Uintah  reservation,  and  also  the  Northwestern  Shoshones 
and  Weber  Utes,  take  some  few  deer  and  beaver  skins.  These 
furs  and  skins  are  all  needed  for  manufacture  among  the  people 
in  the  Territory,  and  the  Indians  get  much  higher  prices  for  them 
than  in  any  other  part  of  the  country;  nearly  their  value  in  New 
York.  The  whole  value  of  the  furs  and  skins  so  taken  is  about 
nine  thousand  dollars.  .  .  . 


With  this  document  we  conclude  our  long  presentation  of  the 
history  of  Washakie  and  the  Shoshoni  as  reflected  in  the  records 
of  the  Utah  Superintendency  of  Indian  Affairs  in  the  National 
Archives  at  Washington.  The  later  experiences  of  this  great  chief 
and  his  tribe  as  reflected  in  the  documentary  record  are  left  to 
later  scholars  who  may  be  interested  to  explore  the  potentialities  of 
the  records  of  the  Wyoming  Superintendency. 


Wyoming  Archaeological  J^otes 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL  RESEARCH 
FOR  1958 

Through  cooperation  with  the  National  Park  Service  and  the 
United  States  Forest  Service,  two  major  archaeological  research 
programs  are  being  planned  for  the  summer  of  1958. 

A  joint  research  program  sponsored  by  the  University  of  Wyo- 
ming and  the  Wyoming  Archives  and  Historical  Department  will 
place  a  large  crew  in  the  field  in  the  Glendo  region  in  June.  The 
crew,  consisting  of  both  excavating  and  mapping  units,  will  be 
under  the  supervision  of  Dr.  William  MuUoy  of  the  University  of 
Wyoming  and  Louis  C.  Steege  of  the  Wyoming  State  Museum. 
This  joint  project  is  a  continuation  of  research  started  in  the  area 
in  1957  by  a  field  crew  of  the  University  of  Wyoming.  The 
tentative  plans  are  for  the  complete  excavation  of  one  site,  and 
detailed  mapping  of  other  sites  in  the  area. 

The  second  major  field  operation  is  tentatively  set  for  the  month 
of  August.  The  exact  starting  date  has  not  been  set  as  yet.  This 
program  will  be  sponsored  by  the  Wyoming  Archaeological  Society 
of  Sheridan,  Wyoming.  The  crew,  made  up  of  members  from  the 
Society,  will  be  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Raymond  Bentzen.  The 
project  will  be  the  complete  mapping  of  the  famous  "Medicine 
Wheel",  and  the  surrounding  area  on  Medicine  Mountain  near 
Kane,  Wyoming. 


RELOCATION  OF  PIONEER  BURIALS 

By 

L.  C.  Steege 

On  October  20,  1957,  Mr.  W.  W.  Morrison,  authority  on  Emi- 
grant Trail  Burials,  Mr.  H.  W.  Ford,  engineer  from  the  Glendo 
Area  Construction  office  of  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  and  Mr. 
L.  C.  Steege,  archaeologist  for  the  Wyoming  State  Historical 
Society,  investigated  all  the  known  locations  of  pioneer  burials  in 
the  Glendo  Reservoir  Area.  Nine  questionable  sites  were  checked 
as  non-burial  locations.  One  was  marked  for  later  examination. 
Two  known  burials  were  located  with  some  difficulty  in  Section  1 , 
Township  SON,  Range  69 W. 

The  rocks  which  covered  one  grave  had  sunk  into  the  ground 
and  vegetation  had  grown  over  the  entire  area.  By  probing  with 
bars,  one  burial  was  located.  The  second  burial  had  not  been 
covered  with  rocks  and  consequently  a  considerable  amount  of 


WYOMING  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  NOTES  91 

time  was  spent  in  trying  to  locate  it.  The  only  information 
available  on  these  two  burials  was  given  by  Mr.  L.  C.  Bishop  and 
is  as  follows:  "The  identity  of  these  two  men  is  unknown.  Their 
bodies  were  found  in  a  drift  in  a  bend  of  the  North  Platte  River 
by  a  Mr.  Roedigger  in  1890.  The  remains  had  been  in  the  river 
for  some  time  before  they  had  been  discovered.  They  were  buried 
in  two  graves  near  the  drift". 

These  remains  were  relocated  on  a  point  above  high  water  level 
about  500  feet  southwest  of  the  original  burials  on  October  22  by 
L.  C.  Steege,  H.  C.  Towns  and  H.  W.  Ford.  The  relocated 
burials  were  covered  with  talus  from  the  slopes  of  the  surrounding 
hills.    A  large  boulder  serves  as  a  headstone. 

On  the  same  date,  the  site  marked  for  later  examination  was 
rechecked.  This  site  was  located  near  the  bottom  of  the  reservoir 
and  consisted  of  a  scattered  pile  of  large  boulders.  This  location 
was  criss-crossed  with  three  exploratory  trenches  about  ten  inches 
in  depth  in  brule.  One  wall  of  each  trench  was  profiled.  By  this 
method  it  was  revealed  that  the  earth  beneath  the  rockpile  had 
never  been  disturbed  previously.  The  site  was  then  abandoned 
as  a  possible  burial. 

This  project  was  carried  out  through  the  cooperation  of  the 
National  Park  Service  and  in  compliance  with  Federal  regulations 
concerning  the  relocation  of  burials  within  a  reservoir  area. 

Preliminary  Report  on 

THE  LITTLE  BALD  MOUNTAIN  SITE.* 

By 

Raymond  C.  Bentzen,  D.D.S. 

Foreword: 

The  Wyoming  Archaeological  Society  was  organized  in  January 
1953,  by  a  group  of  northern  Wyoming  people  who  felt  the  need 
of  joining  themselves  together  to  increase  their  knowledge  of 
archaeology,  and  to  assist  in  further  strengthening  of  the  State's 
unenforced  laws  relative  to  archaeological  exploration.  When  the 
writer  accepted  the  presidency  of  the  organization  in  January, 
1957,  he  suggested  to  the  membership  that  the  society  conduct  a 


*  NOTE:  The  participating  members  of  the  Wyoming  Archaeological 
Society  should  be  commended  for  their  accomplishments  at  the  Little  Bald 
Mountain  Site.  This  was  the  first  attempt  of  the  Society  at  a  systematic 
excavation  of  a  prehistoric  site  of  major  proportions.  With  the  completion 
of  the  final  report,  this  archaeological  research  will  be  recorded  as  one  of 
the  major  investigations  in  Wyoming  during  1957.  This  report  by  Dr. 
Bentzen  was  read  at  the  15th  Annual  Plains  Conference  for  Archaeology 
held  at  the  University  of  Nebraska  on  November  21-23,  1957.  —  L.  C. 
Steege. 


92  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

scientific  exploration  of  one  of  the  numerous  ancient  campsites 
in  the  Big  Horn  Mountains  adjacent  to  Sheridan,  the  headquarters 
town  of  the  group.  The  suggestion  was  accepted  with  great 
enthusiasm,  and  plans  were  then  developed  which  culminated  in 
the  successful  completion  of  the  "dig"  which  is  hereafter  described. 

Noteworthy  in  significance  is  the  fact  that  27  out  of  45  members 
(60%)  participated  actively  in  the  actual  excavation  and  among 
these  were  six  grandmothers. 

I  wish  to  give  special  thanks  to  an  honorary  member  of  our 
society.  Dr.  William  Mulloy,  for  his  kindness  in  the  willing  sharing 
of  his  knowledge  during  a  week  spent  by  the  author  in  June  at 
the  Glendo  Site  to  learn  the  accepted  technic  of  mapping,  excava- 
tion, and  care  of  material;  also  for  his  assistance  in  the  evaluation 
of  the  material  unearthed  in  our  excavation  of  the  Little  Bald 
Mountain  Site. 

My  thanks  also  to  the  following  members  of  our  society  who 
participated  in  the  dig:  Irene  and  Thad  Custis,  Alice  and  Fred 
Hilman,  Elaine  and  Zane  Hilman,  Margaret  Powers,  and  Clara 
White,  all  of  Big  Horn;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kester  and  Eddie,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bill  Sands  and  Billy,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stanley  Zumbrunnen,  all 
of  Buffalo;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hans  Kleiber,  Clarice  and  Jim  Russell, 
of  Dayton;  Charles  and  Otto  Nelson  of  Jackson;  George  Butler  of 
Newcastle;  Chuck  Bentzen,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herman  Kusel  and 
family.  Chuck  Mcintosh,  Frances  and  Robert  Nantkes,  Glenn 
Sweem  and  Glenn,  Jr.,  all  of  Sheridan. 

The  following  non-members  also  participated:  Mrs.  Temple  of 
Dayton;  Linney  Calquist  and  Charlotte  Wells  of  Hulet;  Celeste 
Caldwell  and  George  Chestnut  of  Winston,  New  Mexico;  and 
Charles  Ramstein  of  Basel,  Switzerland. 

In  1945,  while  surface-hunting  for  artifacts  in  the  high  country 
of  the  Big  Horn  Mountains,  I  discovered  what  appeared  to  be 
an  ancient  village  site  and  buffalo-killing  area  situated  in  a  saddle 
on  the  main  divide  immediately  south  of  Little  Bald  Mountain 
at  an  elevation  of  9,000  feet.  Two  small  drainage  ditches  for  the 
then  little-used  Wyoming  Highway  #14  had  exposed  arrowheads 
and  bison  bones,  and  an  itinerant  sheepherder  informed  me  that  in 
past  years  his  daughter  had  gathered  many  buffalo  skulls  from 
that  immediate  area,  stacked  them  up  by  the  road  and  sold  them 
to  the  occasional  tourists  who  ventured  that  way. 

The  apparent  area  of  occupation  covered  about  ten  acres,  all 
of  which  except  the  road  and  ditches  was  heavily  sodded.  In  1955 
five  acres  in  the  middle  of  the  area  was  destroyed  by  the  building 
of  a  new  highway  across  the  site  and  brought  in  dozens  of  artifact- 
collectors  who  literally  followed  the  earth-moving  machinery  to 
pick  up  the  exposed  artifacts. 

Our  expedition  on  this  site  was  scheduled  to  start  on  August 
3rd,  and  a  week  earlier  a  contract  was  let  by  the  U.S.  Forest  Ser- 
vice for  the  construction  of  a  new  Hunt  Mountain  road  which 


WYOMING  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  NOTES  93 

would  cut  right  through  the  proposed  site  of  our  excavation.  The 
forest  supervisor  very  kindly  informed  the  road-builders  to  keep 
off  our  site  until  we  were  finished.  So,  by  split-timing,  we  have 
been  able  to  contribute  to  the  science  of  archaeology  a  site  which 
would  otherwise  have  been  lost  forever. 

GEOLOGY  OF  SITE. 

Mr.  William  Rogers,  of  Centerville,  Iowa,  who  was  working  on 
his  master's  degree  in  geology  at  the  University  of  Iowa,  visited 
our  camp  and  very  kindly  gave  us  the  geology  of  the  site.  The 
site  is  a  delta  60  feet  in  depth,  lying  on  top  of  the  Flathead 
Sandstone,  and  composed  mostly  of  flat-petal  conglomerate  lime- 
stone washed  down  from  the  Gros  Ventre  Limestone  formation  in 
the  higher  Bald  Mountain  to  the  north  and  the  Hunt  Mountain  to 
the  south.  A  canyon  gradually  eroded  on  the  west  side,  carrying 
all  the  drainage  and  leaving  the  delta  high  and  dry.  Decomposi- 
tion and  erosion  of  the  limestone  together  with  beginning  plant 
life  gradually  began  the  up-building  of  the  soil  process  until  the 
present  stage  when  a  cover  of  dark,  humus  soil  from  14  inches 
to  24  inches  thick  overlies  the  sterile  subsoil  and  limestone  base. 
An  extremely  abundant  cover  of  forage  grasses  and  wild  flowers 
furnishes  food  of  sufficient  quality  to  grow  lambs  from  two  months 
of  age  to  market  size  in  60  days. 

TOPOGRAPHY  OF  SITE. 

The  site  being  situated  on  a  saddle  of  the  main  divide,  with 
high  mountains  both  to  the  north  and  south,  and  with  the  North 
Fork  of  Tongue  River  draining  to  the  east  and  Beaver  Creek  drain- 
ing to  the  west,  it  is  apparent  that  the  site  was  a  main  crossing 
point  for  game  animals.  This  fact  was  capitalized  on  by  ancient 
man  in  his  never-ending  quest  for  food,  and  he  either  waylaid  the 
bison  in  its  natural  crossing  from  one  side  of  the  mountain  to  the 
other  at  this  point,  or  else  held  drives  up  either  canyon  and  slaugh- 
tered the  animals  as  they  filed  through  the  pass. 

The  altitude  being  9,000  feet,  this  was  a  summer  campsite  only, 
the  average  winter  snow  depth  being  over  five  feet.  However  the 
summer  climate  is  ideal  for  a  hunting  camp,  with  a  nearly  constant 
cool  breeze  from  the  west,  and  a  temperature  range  of  40  to  60 
degrees  F.    Very  few  flies  and  mosquitos  were  present. 

EXCAVATION. 

A  concrete  datum  post  with  brass  insert  was  set  at  a  high  point 
on  the  north  extremity  of  the  arc  to  be  excavated.  An  east- west 
exploratory  trench  130  feet  in  length  was  dug  100  feet  south  of 
the  datum  post,  and  a  north-south  exploratory  trench  was  dug  at 
right  angles  to  the  east-west  trench  south  from  datum  0  to  a 
length  of  100  feet.  These  trenches  were  excavated  to  sterile 
hard-pan  or  limestone,  a  depth  of  fourteen  to  twenty-eight  inches. 


94 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


The  north  wall  of  the  east-west  and  the  east  wall  of  the  north- 
south  trenches  were  troweled  to  a  smooth  flat  surface  to  reveal 
the  soil  layers  and  any  evidence  of  stratification.  A  profile  map 
of  each  trench  was  made.  Although  no  screening  of  the  trench 
dirt  was  done,  a  number  of  artifacts  were  recovered  as  the  trenches 
were  being  excavated  with  shovels. 

At  point  0.15  west  in  the  south  wall  of  the  east-west  trench, 
there  was  evidence  of  a  fire-pit,  so  a  careful  excavation  was  later 
made  of  this  area  with  trowels  and  brushes  which  disclosed  a 


WYOMING  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  NOTES 


95 


well-formed  formation  of  burnt  sandstone  rocks  lying  seven  to  ten 
inches  below  the  surface  in  a  rectangular  formation  measuring  22 
inches  east- west  and  28  inches  north-south.  From  between  the 
rocks,  a  two  inch  point  fragment  of  a  projectile  point  and  an 
obsidian  pendant  one  inch  in  length  were  recovered,  along  with  a 
good  amount  of  charcoal.  After  removing  all  the  stones,  about 
two  inches  of  the  dirt  was  removed,  underneath  which  was  another 
complete  layer  of  fire-blackened  stones  of  the  same  extent  as  the 
upper  layer  and  14  inches  below  ground  level.     All  were  of  flat 


96  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

sandstone  from  1  to  2  inches  thick  and  2  to  7  inches  long.  More 
charcoal  but  no  artifacts  were  recovered. 

A  grid  system  of  5 -foot  squares  was  laid  out  parallel  to  the 
trenches.  These  were  excavated  in  mostly  a  checkerboard  pattern 
by  shaving  a  thin  layer  of  sod  (1  inch)  from  the  surface,  then 
removing  and  screening  through  a  V4  inch  mesh  hardware  cloth 
screen  all  the  dirt  to  a  depth  of  6  inches.  All  artifacts,  chips  and 
flakes  were  saved  along  with  bones  and  put  in  labeled  bags.  Then 
the  6  to  1 2  inch  layer  was  excavated  and  screened,  etc. 

Of  a  total  of  36-5  by  5  foot  pits  excavated,  every  one  produced 
artifacts  for  an  average  of  nearly  6  per  pit.  This  would  average 
one  artifact  for  each  AV2  square  feet  or  over  9,000  per  acre.  The 
original  10  acre  site  probably  contained  90,000  artifacts!  A  good 
indication  of  the  intensity  of  use  of  this  part-year  hunting  camp. 

Pit  #15,  at  location  0.80S-0.30W,  proved  to  be  the  most  pro- 
ductive, with  six  artifacts  in  the  top  strata,  including  a  rare  corner- 
tang  knife  and  the  only  iron  arrow-point  of  the  site;  four  artifacts 
in  the  middle  strata,  and  three  in  the  12"  to  16"  depth. 

Pit  #18,  at  location  0.80S-0.30W,  contained  fire  pit  or  hearth 
#2  which  yielded  a  good  supply  of  charcoal,  several  bones  and  a 
plano-convex  scraper  beneath  the  hearth.  This  hearth  measured 
30"x36"  and  lay  8"  beneath  the  surface. 

The  third  and  last  hearth  discovered  lay  in  the  southeast  corner 
of  pit  0.60S-0.10W.  This  was  the  deepest  of  the  three  and  lay 
just  on  the  top  of  the  subsoil  at  a  depth  of  14"  below  the  surface. 
It  contained  a  good  sample  of  charcoal  but  no  artifacts.  It  was 
roughly  circular  in  form  with  an  outside  diameter  of  22"  and  12" 
inside. 

The  first  shovel  of  dirt  from  pit  #30  yielded  a  perfect  gem  of  a 
chalcedony  drill.  The  most  beautiful  blade  recovered  was  a 
lenticular-shaped  one  of  light  brown  chert  measuring  iy8"x5", 
from  the  top  strata  of  0.90S-0.10E. 

An  exploratory  pit  was  dug  and  screened  about  300  yards  north 
of  the  datum  post  to  ascertain  whether  the  campsite  extended  that 
far.  The  top  6"  produced  two  plano-convex  scrapers,  one  arrow- 
point  and  a  few  flakes,  but  the  6"  to  15"  strata  was  sterile. 

Pit  0.10S-0.60W  contained  a  lower  jawbone  of  a  bison  with 
molar  teeth  in  place  and  with  V2  of  a  large  jasper  blade  lying 
directly  on  the  teeth  at  a  depth  of  6"  below  surface.  This  was 
carefully  exposed  and  photographed  in  situ.  Nearly  all  of  the  pits 
produced  bones  and  teeth,  mostly  bison,  but  two  smaller  jawbones 
are  apparently  those  of  deer.  All  the  leg  bones  were  fractured 
so  that  marrow  could  be  removed  for  food. 

Only  one  fragment  of  mano  was  found  in  the  E-W  trench,  but 
the  writer  excavated  a  complete  metate  measuring  10"xl4"x 
VA"  from  a  drainage  ditch  on  the  north  side  of  this  site  where 
erosion  had  exposed  it  several  years  ago  at  a  depth  of  16". 

Scarcity   of   agricultural    artifacts    and   the   preponderance   of 


WYOMING  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  NOTES  97 

arrow-points,  scrapers  and  blades,  together  with  the  plentiful 
supply  of  animal  bones,  would  indicate  that  this^site  was  primarily 
a  meat-hunting  camp. 

No  evidence  at  all  of  habitation  was  found  at  the  site  and  the 
nearest  tipi  rings  known  to  the  writer  are  a  small  group  of  about 
a  dozen  which  lie  about  IV^  miles  south  southeast  at  an  elevation 
of  about  10,000  feet.  This  group  is  devoid  of  fire  pits  and  may 
be  religious  worship  sites  rather  than  a  habitation  locus. 

The  famous  prehistoric  Medicine  Wheel  which  lies  on  a  bare 
ridge  one  mile  northwest  of  Medicine  Mountain  and  nine  miles 
west  northwest  of  the  Little  Bald  Mountain  Site  at  an  elevation  of 
9600  feet,  may  have  been  used  or  even  made  by  the  same  people 
who  slaughtered  bison  and  other  animals  and  left  their  artifacts 
at  Little  Bald. 

Several  sites  containing  great  numbers  of  tipi  rings  lie  along  the 
main  divide  from  northwest  to  southeast,  and  it  is  hoped  that 
studies  may  be  made  in  the  future  in  an  effort  to  determine  the 
significance  of  these  structures — whether  they  were  actually  the 
weights  to  anchor  the  periphery  of  hide  tipis,  or  whether,  as  Dr. 
Mulloy  has  postulated,  they  were  merely  symbols  representing 
homes  or  churches  and  used  as  places  of  worship  by  ancient  man. 
The  routine  absence  of  hearths  and  artifacts  from  tipi-ring  sites, 
plus  their  common  location  on  high,  dry,  wind-swept  ridges,  far 
from  wood  and  water,  would  bear  credence  to  the  latter  theory. 

Of  the  total  of  38  arrow-points  recovered  from  the  upper  level 
of  the  36  pits,  4  were  of  the  side  notched  square  based  type  identi- 
fied with  the  period  1 500  years  ago  to  present  time,  while  the  lone 
iron  point  would  of  course  be  no  older  than  perhaps  100  years, 
along  with  a  single  crude  glass  bead  found  in  the  upper  level.  The 
remaining  33  points  were  either  of  the  corner  notched  or  wide, 
square  based  triangular  type  attributed  to  the  late  Middle  Period, 
2500  to  1500  years  ago. 

From  the  lower  level,  6"  to  12"  below  the  surface,  14  arrow- 
points  were  recovered,  of  which  only  one  was  of  the  side  notched 
variety,  the  remainder  being  corner  notched  or  triangular  un- 
notched.  Two  were  unilaterally  notched.  It  would  appear  from 
this  typology  that  the  heaviest  usage  of  this  site  took  place  in  the 
era  500  B.  C.  to  500  A.D.  Only  the  base  of  one  Yuma  point 
was  recovered  in  the  upper  level,  and  that  was  doubtless  brought 
in  as  a  surface  find  from  some  other  location. 

The  variety  of  artifacts  recovered  from  this  site  was  quite 
extensive.  Besides  the  arrow-points,  a  large  number  of  scrapers 
of  all  types  were  found,  along  with  various  types  of  blades,  awls, 
drills,  spoke-shavers,  a  hafted  chisel,  a  shaft  smoother,  sinew 
dresser,  a  bone  awl,  several  pieces  of  hematite,  or  red  paintstone, 
and  a  single  potsherd  of  baked  clay.  No  spearheads  were  found, 
but  the  writer  was  fortunate  several  years  before  in  finding  a 
perfect  corner  notched  red  jasper  spearhead,  4^/4  "  x  1  %",  partly 


98 


ANNALS  OF  WYUMlNCi 


exposed  by  erosion  in  the  wall  of  a  drainage  ditch  on  this  same 
site,  so  spears  or  lances  must  have  been  used  to  some  extent  by 
these  people. 

A  plentiful  supply  of  bones  and  teeth  were  recovered,  most  of 
which  were  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation.  Pending  further 
study,  the  majority  of  these  bones  and  teeth  appear  to  be  those 
of  bison.     No  human  bones  or  teeth  were  recovered. 

It  is  anticipated  that  a  carbon  14  dating  will  be  obtained  from 
the  good  samples  of  charcoal  which  were  recovered  from  the 
fire  pits,  and  then,  perhaps,  the  age  of  this  culture  can  be  integrated 
with  those  of  other  sites  in  the  plains  and  intermountain  areas. 


Ceremonial  and  Protleuiatical  Artifacts 

ABC 


Amulet 


D 


Eigle  fff,^^  Turtle    Uf^ 


G 


H 


Discoidal 


PeTfcrn.ie(l     Dish 


WYOMING  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  NOTES  99 

STONE  ARTIFACTS 

By 

L.  C.  Steege 

CEREMONIAL  AND  PROBLEMATICAL  ARTIFACTS 

Artifacts  in  this  category  include  Pendants,  Gorgets,  Amulets, 
Effigies,  Pipes,  Discoidals  and  Perforated  Disks. 

Pendants  (Figure  A)  appear  occasionally  in  Wyoming  in  limited 
numbers.  A  majority  of  these  are  of  the  notched  type  and  are 
triangular  in  shape  with  some  variant  specimens  being  more  rec- 
tangular in  shape.  Some  perforated  specimens  have  also  been 
found.  Most  of  the  pendants  which  have  been  seen  by  the  author 
in  various  collections  are  made  of  some  unusual  stone  such  as 
clear  quartz  or  obsidian.  A  notched  pendant  of  obsidian  was 
found  during  excavations  at  the  Little  Bald  Mountain  Site.  A 
preliminary  report  on  this  research  is  pubUshed  elsewhere  in  this 
Annals.  These  pendants  were  undoubtedly  "good  medicine"  and 
were  the  decorative  ornaments  of  only  a  few  people. 

Gorgets,  Amulets,  Discoidals  and  Perforated  Disks  are  seldom, 
if  ever,  found  in  Wyoming.  They  are  generally  associated  with 
Mississippian  cultures  of  the  Southeastern  portions  of  the  United 
States.  They  also  appear  in  the  Great  Lakes  Region  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada. 

There  does  not  seem  to  be  a  limitation  as  to  the  size  and  shape 
of  a  gorget  (Figure  B).  The  general  overall  description  is  a 
flat  surfaced  stone  containing  one  or  more  holes.  They  are  usually 
made  of  a  softer  stone  such  as  slate,  although  gorgets  of  hematite 
are  not  uncommon.  The  majority  of  gorgets  are  rectangular  to 
oval  in  shape  and  rarely  exceed  one  quarter  inch  in  thickness. 

Amulets  (Figure  C)  are  generally  cigar-shaped  and  are  longer 
and  thicker  than  a  gorget.  They  are  not  as  common  as  a  gorget. 
Amulets  are  made  of  slate,  greenstone,  quartz  and  hematite.  They 
may  have  grooves  cut  around  the  body  or  drilled  holes  through 
the  ends.    Some  specimens  have  both  grooves  and  holes. 

The  use  of  these  two  artifacts  is  decidedly  problematical.  Some 
authorities  have  concluded  that  these  are  atlatl  weights,  but  in  my 
opinion  they  would  not  be  practical  for  such  use.  Perhaps  the 
gorgets  were  the  predecessors  of  the  modern  string  or  bolo  tie. 
Cords  could  be  lengthened  or  shortened  by  sliding  the  gorget  along 
them.  This  theory  can  be  supported  by  the  fact  that  some  gorgets 
show  cord  wear  in  the  edges  of  the  holes.  Amulets  could  have 
been  used  as  a  handle  on  the  end  of  a  rope  or  cord.  They  could 
also  be  used  as  a  weight  on  a  fish  net. 

Effigies  (Figures  D,E)  are  another  rare  item  in  the  Plains  region. 
The  greatest  concentration  of  these  artifacts  appears  to  be  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley  and  Northeastern  Oklahoma,  even  then  they 


100  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

are  found  only  on  rare  occasions.  Many  items  of  this  nature  are 
displayed  in  collections  but  the  authenticity  of  these  artifacts,  in 
most  cases,  is  rather  doubtful. 

The  eagle  and  the  turtle  are  the  most  popular  in  design.  Some 
snake,  lizard  and  flying  bird  designs  and  profiles  of  human  faces 
also  appear.  It  is  quite  possible  that  a  few  highly  skilled  flint 
chippers  of  prehistoric  origin  did  fashion  a  few  effigies  for  cere- 
monial purposes  but  these  number  very  few  in  comparison  to  the 
number  of  practcial  artifacts  which  were  made  for  a  definite 
purpose  or  use. 

Other  chipped  artifacts  of  unusual  shapes  are  called  "eccen- 
trics". Thsse  can  be  a  multitude  of  sizes  and  shapes.  The  general 
shape  is  triangular  and  often  resembles  a  projectile  point  with  a 
weird  array  of  notches  and  barbs.  A  high  percentage  of  these 
eccentrics  are  of  modern  manufacture.  The  largest  outlet  for 
these  fake  pieces  is  a  dealer  in  Arkansas.  If  you  must  purchase 
an  eccentric,  make  certain  that  it  comes  from  a  reliable  source. 
There  is  no  practical  use  for  these  artifacts  other  than  ceremonial 
or  ornamental. 

A  pipe  (Figure  F)  is  truly  an  American  originality  and  seems 
to  have  been  used  throughout  the  entire  United  States.  Until  the 
discovery  of  America,  smoking  was  unknown  to  our  European 
ancestors.  Even  the  prehistoric  man  of  Europe  knew  no  pipe. 
The  exact  age  when  smoking  began  in  America  has  never  been 
determined. 

The  pipe  was  an  article  of  great  importance  to  our  stone  age 
man  and  was  made  with  intricate  care.  The  stone  material  used 
was  catlinite,  sandstone,  steatite,  slate  and  shale.  There  seems 
to  be  no  limitation  as  to  size.  Some  held  about  a  thimble  full  of 
tobacco  while  some  large  ceremonial  pipes  held  nearly  a  pound  of 
tobacco.  Shapes  were  not  restricted  either.  Some  were  T-shaped, 
L-shaped,  platform  and  tubular.  Some  were  plain  and  some  were 
carved  into  animals,  birds  and  even  human  figures  in  minute  detail. 
Some  pipes  of  the  historic  times  were  inlaid  with  silver. 

There  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  classification  and  use  of  the  pipe. 
It  was  strictly  ceremonial. 

Discoidals  (Figure  G)  are  found  in  that  portion  of  the  United 
States  lying  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  They  vary  in  sizes 
from  an  inch  to  five  inches  in  thickness  and  up  to  ten  inches  in 
diameter.  They  are  circular  in  outline  and  usually  bi-concave, 
or  cupped  on  each  side.  There  are  some  which  are  uniconcave  or 
single  cupped,  and  some  which  have  plane  parallel  sides.  The 
latter  are  known  as  the  biscuit  types. 

A  study  of  the  bi-concave  variety  of  discoidal  reveals  the  skill 
used  in  making  the  specimen.  The  uniformity  of  diameter,  sym- 
metry and  thickness  of  the  two  cups  leads  one  to  believe  that  it 
could  have  been  turned  on  a  lathe.  A  few  rough  specimens  have 
been  found  which  I  would  term  as  unfinished.     The  majority  are 


WYOMING  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  NOTES  101 

highly  poHshed.  They  are  usually  made  of  a  hard  stone,  such  as 
quartz,  greenstone  or  hematite.  , 

The  use  for  a  discoidal  has  never  been  successfully  explained. 
The  most  logic  use  could  have  been  for  a  gaming  piece.  This,  of 
course,  is  merely  an  assumption  and  until  a  definite  use  is  dis- 
covered, the  discoidal  will  have  to  remain  a  problematical  form. 

Perforated  Disks  (Figure  H)  are  sometimes  classified  as  pend- 
ants although  it  is  doubtful  if  some  were  ever  worn  due  to  their 
weight  and  size.  These  disks  or  "doughnut  stones"  are  found 
in  the  Southeastern  United  States  and  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  They 
are  made  of  hard  stone,  carefully  drilled  and  ground  and  in  some 
cases  are  highly  polished.  The  more  symmetrical  varieties  could 
have  been  used  as  spindle  whorls  on  shafts  of  rotating  drills.  This 
added  inertia  would  make  the  bow-drills  more  effective.  In  my 
opinion  these  perforated  disks  are  a  further  development  of  the 
discoidals. 


Wyoming  State  Historical  Society 

PRESIDENT'S  MESSAGE 

liy 

T.  A.  Lakson 

When  I  was  elcclecl  President  ol'  tlie  Wyoming  State  Historical 
Society  in  Cody  last  September  I  vowed  that  during  my  presidency 
I  would  visit  all  twelve  of  our  county  chapters  at  my  own  expense. 
So  Car  I  have  visited  eight  chapters:  Johnson,  Washakie,  Park, 
Goshen,  Laramie,  Sweetwater,  IJinta,  and  Albany  in  that  order. 
I  have  visited  also  a  Sheridan  county  group  which  has  not  yet 
formed  a  chapter,  but  is  considering  it.  That  leaves  Carbon, 
Campbell,  hremont,  and  Natrona  chapters  yet  to  be  visited  before 
September. 

In  our  chapters,  as  in  the  state  of  Wyoming,  one  detects  both 
diversity  and  uniformity.  Our  Wyoming  communities  have  been 
far  enough  apart  so  that  they  have  been  able  to  retain  considerable 
individuality  even  though  the  trend  in  American  culture  is  toward 
more  and  more  uniformity.  But  this  is  a  subject  far  too  big  for 
elaboration  here.  On  the  side  of  uniformity,  everywhere  1  have 
found  friendly,  congenial,  and  enthusiastic  members. 

I  want  to  take  a  few  paragraphs  to  discuss  four  items  of  State 
vSociety  business. 

Although  no  one  has  said  so  in  so  many  words,  I  sense  that  some 
people  think  that  our  organization  is  only  for  old-timers — that  it 
is  at  least  primarily  for  pioneers.  Cven  some  members  of  the 
Society  apparently  hold  this  opinion. 

Certainly  old-timers  are  very  desirable  members,  and  they  can 
do  a  lot  to  make  the  Society  and  its  chapters  worth  while.  They 
often  know  a  lot  about  early  Wyoming  history.  They  can  con- 
tribute first-hand  information  when  Wyoming  history  is  discussed. 
In  short,  old-timers  are  pillars  of  strength  around  which  younger 
members  may  rally. 

Yoimg  people,  however,  are  also  welcome  in  the  Society.  De- 
scendants of  Wyoming  pioneers  have  a  special  reason  for  partici- 
pating in  the  Society's  activities.  But  other  young  people  who 
have  just  come  to  Wyoming  are  also  welcome,  if  they  have  the  one 
essential  t|iialificalion  —  interest  in  Wyoming  state  and  local 
history. 

Unless  members  keep  in  mind  that  the  Wyoming  State  Historical 
Society  is  not  primarily  a  pioneer  association  we  are  destined  to 
find  our  membership  declining  and  our  efforts  to  establish  histor- 
ical truth  becoming  more  difficult  in  years  to  come.  My  visits  to 
county  chapters  show  fortunately  that  young  people  are  participat- 
iqg,  though  in  some  chapters  there  are  not  enough  of  them. 


WYOMING  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  103 

Another  matter  of  State  Society  business  is  this:  Wc  need  more 
county  and  community  histories. 

We  already  have  a  lew  good  local  histories.  Mrs.  Stone's  work 
on  Uinta  County,  Mokler's  History  ol'  Natrona  County,  l.ola 
Homsher's  History  of  Albany  County  to  I8K(),  and  Lindsay's 
History  of  the  Big  Horn  Basin  come  to  mind.  Sydney  Spiegel  is 
working  on  a  history  of  Laramie  County. 

Preferably  it  takes  someone  attached  to  a  county,  rather  than 
an  outsider,  to  write  a  satisfactory  county  history.  Fhe  outsider 
may  be  more  objective  but  he  is  apt  to  lack  the  interest  and  the 
time.  I  urge  each  county  chapter  to  consider  whether  it  might  be 
possible  to  interest  a  local  school  teacher  in  writing  a  county  his- 
tory. A  teacher  of  social  studies  or  history,  for  example,  can  write 
a  county  history  as  an  M.A.  thesis  at  the  University  of  Wyoming, 
getting  supervision,  academic  credit,  and  even  financial  assistance 
from  the  Wyoming  State  Historical  ^Society  and/or  the  University. 
Such  a  teacher  need  not  be  a  member  of  the  county  chapter,  but  no 
doubt  he  or  she  would  soon  become  a  member.  Of  course,  active 
members  of  our  county  chapters  may  be  better  qualified  to  write 
such  a  history,  but  in  the  case  of  the  school  teacher  the  incentives 
mentioned  above  can  be  brought  to  bear,  and  the  school  teacher 
moreover  may  be  able  to  find  the  time,  especially  during  summer 
school  sessions  when  working  toward  an  advanced  degree. 

Another  matter  calling  for  comment  is  the  slow  progress  of  Ihe 
Historic  Sites  Survey.  Mr.  E.  A.  "Tony"  i-ittleton  of  CJillette  is 
chairman  of  this  committee.  He  has  been  doing  a  good  job,  but 
he  is  finding  it  hard  to  get  cooperation  from  some  of  our  chapters. 
He  would  very  much  like  to  have  each  county  chapter  send  him 
its  list  of  important  sites  in  the  county.  Thus  wc  can  assemble 
a  state  master  list  of  important  historic  sites  as  recognized  locally 
in  each  chapter. 

Finally,  let  us  begin  planning  to  attend  the  State  wSociety's  next 
convention  in  Cheyenne  in  early  September.  For  some  of  our 
members  it  is  quite  a  ways  to  Cheyenne,  but  when  it  is  remembered 
that  our  first  four  conventions  have  met  in  Casper,  Lander,  Gil- 
lette, and  Cody,  a  southern  Wyoming  meeting  this  year  seems  to 
recommend  itself. 

All  members  are  welcome  and  no  county  chapter  should  fail 
to  be  represented  by  at  least  an  official  delegate. 

After  the  admirable  work  done  by  the  host  groups  at  our  first 
four  conventions  it  may  appear  remarkable  that  a  chapter  has  the 
nerve  to  come  forward  with  an  invitation.  Llowcver,  the  [>aramie 
County  chapter  has  invited  us,  and  its  members  are  already  laying 
plans.  They  need  not  feel  that  they  are  compelled  to  try  to  make 
the  convention  bigger  and  better  than  those  in  the  past.  All  they 
need  to  do  is  to  supply  us  with  some  opportunities  for  entertain- 
ment and  enlightenment  in  doses  of  reasonable  size.  The  Laramie 
County  chapter  can't  miss.     The  State  Museum  by  itself  is  worth 


104  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

a  trip  to  Cheyenne  if  you  haven't  been  through  it.    And  Cheyenne 
and  its  environs  offer  other  attractions. 

In  conclusion,  I  urge  officers  of  county  chapters  to  keep  in  mind 
four  things: 

( 1 )  Let's  add  a  few  younger  members. 

(2)  Let's  see  if  we  can  find  persons  to  write  county  histories. 

(3)  Let's  help  Tony  Littleton  with  his  Historic  Sites  Survey. 

(4)  Let's  begin  making  plans  to  attend  the  1958  convention. 


Wyoming  State  Historical  Society 
Fourth  Annual  Meeting  September  28,  1957 

CODY,  WYOMING AMERICAN  LEGION  HALL 

The  Fourth  Annual  meeting  of  the  Wyoming  State  Historical 
Society  met  in  the  American  Legion  Hall  in  Cody  on  September 
28,  1957  at  8:30  a.m. 

The  minutes  of  the  Third  Annual  meeting,  which  had  been 
published  in  the  Annals  of  Wyoming  and  which  had  been  sent  to 
all  delegates  in  mimeographed  form,  were  approved.  Minutes  of 
the  Executive  Committee  meeting  held  in  Cheyenne  in  January 
were  read  and  approved. 

Miss  Homsher  moved  that  a  charter  be  given  to  Uinta  County 
as  they  have  met  all  the  necessary  requirements  for  a  chapter. 
Seconded.    Carried. 

TREASURER'S  REPORT 

September  15,  1956-September  28,  1957 

Cash  and  Investments  on  hand  Sept.  15,  1957 $4,915.28 

Receipts  and  Interest: 

Dues    $2,734.00 

Charter  fees  10.00 

Colter  booklet  67.72 

Interest  on  savings 139.81 2,951.53 

$7,866.81 
Disbursements,  9/15/56  —  9/28/57 

Annals  of  Wyoming $1,361.00 

Office  Supplies 346.20 

Postage  and  phone 76.60 

Meetings,  expense  for  117.96 

Colter  booklet  publication  380.45 

Esther  Morris  statue  fund  100.00 

Archaeological  Bill  26.03 .$2,408.24 

Balance  on  Hand  September  28,  1957 $5,458.57 


WYOMING  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  105 

ASSETS 

September  28,  1957 

Cheyenne  Federal  Building  and  Loan $4,955.14 

Stock  Growers  National  Bank  checking  account _ 503.43 


$5,458.57 

Present  membership  of  the  Society  as  of  September  28,  1957  is  as 
follows : 

Life  members 24 

Joint  life  members  10 

Annual  members  470 

Joint  annual  members 326 

Total  830 

Counties  Chapters  organized 12:  Albany,  Carbon,  Campbell, 

Fremont,  Goshen,  Johnson,  Laramie,  Natrona,  Park,  Sweet- 
water, Uinta  and  Washakie. 

Attendance  at  Fourth  Annual  Meeting  112 

The  President  asked  Mr.  William  Martin  and  Mr.  Dudley  Hay- 
den  to  audit  the  books  and  report  at  the  afternoon  meeting. 

He  then  asked  for  reports  from  the  following  standing  com- 
mittees - 

1.  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  COMMITTEE.  Since  Mr.  Steege  was 
absent,  Mr.  E.  A.  Littleton  read  the  report  of  the  committee. 
It  stated  that  the  Archaeological  Bill  died  in  the  House  Com- 
mittee of  the  1957  Legislature.  A  report  is  being  prepared 
on  the  diggings  made  in  the  Glendo  region  in  the  summer  of 
1957  before  waters  were  turned  into  the  reservoir.  It  was 
moved  and  seconded  the  report  be  accepted  and  filed.  Carried. 

2.  SURVEY  OF  HISTORIC  SITES.  The  chairman,  Mr.  Little- 
ton, reported  that  the  project  had  turned  out  to  be  much 
larger  than  anticipated.  He  asked  that  each  county  make  a  list 
of  historic  sites  and  send  it  to  him.  This  should  be  completed 
by  the  1958  Annual  Meeting.  Mr.  Littleton  explained  that 
lists  of  Post  Offices  by  county,  another  project  being  worked 
on,  is  not  to  be  confused  with  the  historic  sites  survey.  He 
accepts  both  lists  and  they  are  being  held  in  separate  cate- 
gories. 

The  question  of  changing  geographic  names  of  long  standing 
also  was  discussed.  It  was  moved  and  seconded  the  report  be 
accepted.    Carried. 

3.  LEGISLATIVE  COMMITTEE.  Miss  Homsher  reported  for 
Mr.  Mockler  that  the  Archaeological  Bill  was  lost.  Necessary 
changes  had  been  made  in  the  bill  but  too  many  people  did  not 
realize  this  had  been  done  and  so  worked  against  it. 


106  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

4.  SCHOLARSHIP  COMMITTEE.  Dr.  T.  A.  Larson  reported 
that  only  Sydney  Speigel  is  working  on  a  County  history  (Lar- 
amie County).  He  also  reported  that  Mr.  Fuller  has  left 
$1500  in  his  will  for  anyone  who  will  write  a  history  of  Crook 
County  under  the  supervision  of  Dr.  Larson. 

5.  AWARDS  COMMITTEE.  Mr.  A.  H.  MacDougall  stated 
that  he  would  announce  the  awards  at  the  Banquet  in  the 
evening. 

6.  Miss  Homsher  stated  that  two  sets  of  slides  of  historical  inter- 
est, accompanied  by  narratives,  have  been  received  and  that 
copies  should  be  made  so  that  sets  can  be  loaned  to  schools 
and  organizations.  These  sets  are  Din  woody  Petroglyphs 
series  by  L.  C.  Steege  and  the  Oregon  Trail  across  Wyoming 
by  Mrs.  Perry  Weston.  One  set  of  each  would  be  retained  at 
the  Historical  Department  to  be  used  as  copy  negatives  and 
four  would  be  on  loan.  Miss  Homsher  stated  that  the  approx- 
imate cost  would  be  $75.00.  It  was  moved  and  seconded  that 
five  sets  of  each  of  the  two  historic  series  be  made,  one  for 
reserve  and  4  for  lending.    Carried. 

Mrs.  Lucille  Wiley  called  attention  to  the  John  Colter  cachets 
which  could  be  purchased  at  a  cost  of  250  each.  She  stated  that 
collectors  from  46  states  had  sent  in  orders. 

Since  no  one  on  the  NOMINATING  COMMITTEE  was  pres- 
ent, the  President  appointed  Mr.  Merrill  Mattes  and  Mr.  Peter 
Fritzjofson  to  count  the  ballots  and  make  a  report  at  the  Banquet. 

Reports  of  progress  by  the  County  Chapters  were  given  verbally. 
The  following  reports  preceded  by  an  asterisk  were  written  and 
are  now  on  file. 

Albany  County  Chapter  Dr.  T.  A.  Larson 

Campbell  County  Chapter  Mr.  E.  A.  Littleton 

*Carbon  County  Chapter  Mrs.  L.  Pierson 

Fremont  County  Chapter  Mr.  William  Marion 

Goshen  County  Chapter  (no  one  present) 

*Johnson  County  Chapter  Mrs.  Thelma  Condit 

*  Laramie  County  Chapter  Mrs.  J.  H.  Carlisle 
*Natrona  County  Chapter  Mrs.  Charles  Hord 

Park  County  Chapter  Mrs.  Maud  Murray 

*Washakie  County  Chapter  Mrs.  W.  F.  Bragg,  Sr. 

Sweetwater  County  Chapter  (no  one  present) 

*  Uinta  County  Chapter  Mrs.  Dwight  Wallace 

Under  new  business  Miss  Homsher  explained  the  plan  for  the 
Westinghouse  Historical  Awards.  Information  has  been  sent  to 
all  County  Chapters  but  rules  will  be  sent  again  if  desired.  The 
President  announced  that  a  state  committee  would  soon  be  ap- 


WYOMING  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  107 

pointed  to  handle  the  matter.     Material  for  the  contest  must  be 
sent  to  Westinghouse  by  February  1958. 

The  treasurer  asked  that  the  members  try  to  sell  more  of  the 
pamphlets  "Behind  the  Story  of  Colter's  Hell"  as  the  State  Society 
is  still  $200  in  the  red  from  the  venture.  Each  chapter  can  make 
100%  profit  by  selling  these  pamphlets  as  they  cost  the  chapters 
25  cents  each  and  are  to  be  sold  for  50  cents. 

President  Dominick  announced  that  he  has  signed  a  lease  agree- 
ment with  the  County  Commissioners  of  Carbon  County  whereby 
the  land,  on  which  is  located  the  recently  dedicated  Rawlins 
Plaques,  is  held  by  the  Wyoming  State  Historical  Society  for  a 
99  year  period.  The  Society  through  the  Carbon  County  Chapter 
agrees  to  keep  up  this  site. 

Mr.  I.  H.  Larom  graciously  invited  the  state  members  to  his 
Valley  Ranch  for  luncheon  on  Sunday. 

The  President  appointed  Mrs.  Hazel  Ward,  Miss  Homsher  and 
Mr.  Homer  Mann  on  the  Resolutions  Committee. 

The  meeting  adjourned  at  10:00  a.m.,  following  which  the 
members  were  taken  on  an  interesting  tour  of  historical  sites  in 
the  vicinity  of  Cody. 

Maurine  Carley 
Secretary-Treasurer 


DINNER  MEETING  IN  CODY,  WYOMING 

SEPTEMBER  28,  1957 

At  the  dinner  meeting  given  by  the  Park  County  Chapter  of  the 
Wyoming  State  Historical  Society,  Mr.  I.  H.  Larom  was  toast- 
master. 

Dr.  Dominick  thanked  the  many  people  who  had  made  the 
three  day  celebration  successful. 

He  introduced  Mr.  A.  H.  MacDougall,  Second  Vice  President, 
who  presented  the  following  awards,  one  for  each  category  as 
set-up  by  the  Society. 

Historical  Awards 

1.  Newspaper:  Laramie  Boomerang  for  contributing  most  to  the 
history  of  the  community  or  the  state  through  publication  of 
articles  of  historical  nature. 

2.  Group  restoring  historical  sites:  Carbon  County  Chapter  (Lu- 
cine  Rettstatt)  for  locating  and  marking  Rawlins  Spring. 

3.  Radio:  KSPR  in  Casper  for  its  emphasis  on  Wyoming  History. 

4.  Historical  Pageant:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  McNair  of  Casper  for 
the  writing  and  directing  of  the  pageant  "Fight  at  Platte  Bridge 
Station"  presented  by  the  Fort  Caspar  Benefit  Association,  Inc. 


108  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

5.  Non-fiction  book:  Lola  M.  Homsher  and  Mary  Lou  Pence  for 
Ghost  Towns  of  Wyoming. 

6.  Special:  Mrs.  Evelyn  Bartholomew,  Washakie  Chapter,  for 
finding  the  mounted  head  of  the  famous  old  horse  "Muggins" 
and  arranging  for  its  return  to  Wyoming. 

Mr.  Homer  Mann  read  the  following  Resolutions  - 

WHEREAS:  the  Park  County  Historical  Society  has  been  the 
host  for  the  Fourth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Wyoming  State 
Historical  Society,  and 

WHEREAS:  the  membership  of  the  Park  County  Historical 
Society,  the  merchants,  and  the  City  of  Cody  have  extended 
every  courtesy  to  make  this  an  outstanding  meeting,  therefore: 
Be  It  Resolved  that  we  extend  our  sincere  appreciation  for  the 
excellent  program  and  for  the  hospitality  extended,  and  that  we 
especially  thank  the  following  people  for  the  part  they  played 
in  making  this  meeting  a  success: 

Mayor  Hugh  Smith 

Mrs.  Mary  J.  Allen,  Miss  Cody  Allen  and  the  Trustees  of  the 

Buffalo  Bill  Museum 
Mr.  Malcolm  Lewis,  President  of  the  Park  County  Historical 

Society 
Mrs.  Adolph  Spohr,  Registration 

Mrs.  DeWitt  Dominick,  Mrs.  Babs  Smith,  Mrs.  Henrietta  Sturm 
Mrs.  Lucille  Patrick,  Mrs.  Katie  Brown,  Mrs.  Sarah  Fritzjofson 
Mr.  Ned  Frost  and  Mr.  Earl  Newton 
Mrs.  Harley  Kinkade  and  the  Boot  and  Bottle  Club 
Mrs.  Lucille  Wiley,  Harrison  Brewer,  Dr.  M.  J.  Smith 
Mrs.   Price  McGee,   Mrs.   Frank  O'Dasz  and  Mrs.   Harrison 

Brewer 
Mr.  Hal  Bowen 
National  Muzzle  Loading  Association  and  Merchants  of  Cody. 

Respectfully  submitted. 
Committee  on  Resolutions 
Homer  Mann 
Hazel  Ward 
Lola  M.  Homsher 

Election  of  Officers 

The  secretary  announced  the  result  of  the  election  of  officers 
for  1958. 

President  Dr.  T.  A.  Larson  (Albany  County) 

1st  Vice  President  Mr.  A.  H.  MacDougall  (Carbon  County) 

2nd  Vice  President  Mrs.  Clark  Condit  (Johnson  County) 

Sec'y-Treas.  Miss  Maurine  Carley  (Laramie  County) 


WYOMING  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  109 

Program 

The  stage  was  outstanding  with  its  huge  map  "of  Colter's  route 
flanked  by  two  large  Indian  motifs  done  in  red,  blue  and  white 
paper. 

Table  decorations  featured  fall  leaves,  and  all  kinds  of  ducks — 
real  and  decoys.  At  the  head  table  a  large  centerpiece  depicted  a 
scene  of  the  Teton  Mountains,  even  to  the  snow  on  high  peaks. 
Each  guest  at  the  head  table  had  as  a  favor  a  miniature  trapper's 
cap  made  of  real  fur. 

The  Shoshone  Indians  added  greatly  to  the  atmosphere  of  the 
Pageant  in  the  afternoon  as  well  as  at  the  banquet  with  their 
beautiful  costumes. 

The  program  consisted  of  an  interesting  talk  by  Mr.  Merrill 
Mattes,  Regional  Historian  for  the  National  Park  Service,  on  "The 
Rediscovery  of  Colter's  Hell,"  in  which  he  placed  Colter's  Hell 
at  the  site  of  the  De  Maris  Springs  near  Cody. 

A  novel  form  of  entertainment  lasted  until  midnight.  It  was  a 
debate  on  the  authenticity  of  the  "Colter  Stone"  which  was  on 
display  on  the  stage.  Burton  Harris  of  Colorado  took  the  affirma- 
tive and  W.  K.  Cademan  of  Kansas  the  negative.  The  moderators 
were  Dr.  T.  A.  Larson  and  Mr.  Frank  Oberhansley.  At  the  close 
of  the  evening  no  decision  had  been  reached.  Did  Colter  carve  his 
,  name  on  this  peculiar  stone  in  1 807? 

Maurine  Carley 
Secre  tary-Treasurer 

Highlights  of  the  Convention 

On  Friday,  September  27,  an  historical  tour  to  John  Colter's 
campsite  of  1807  on  Clark's  Fork  and  to  the  site  of  the  General 
Miles  battle  with  the  Bannack  Indians  was  led  by  Earl  Newton. 
The  people  of  Cody  provided  transportation  by  jeep  for  all 
participants. 

A  tea  at  the  Buffalo  Bill  Museum,  sponsored  by  the  Trustees  of 
the  Museum  and  Mrs.  Mary  Jester  Allen  and  Helen  Cody  Allen, 
was  given  for  all  registrants  at  the  Convention  following  the 
historical  tour  on  Friday. 

The  Society  expresses  appreciation  to  the  Trustees  and  Mrs. 
and  Miss  Allen  for  postponing  the  closing  date  of  the  Museum 
until  after  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Society. 

On  Saturday,  following  the  Annual  Business  Meeting,  a  tour 
of  historical  sites  north  and  west  of  Cody  was  conducted  by  Earl 
Newton  and  the  late  Ned  Frost,  both  early  pioneers  of  the  Big 
Horn  Basin. 

A  barbecue  was  held  by  the  Boot  and  Bottle  Club  of  Cody  at 
the  City  Park  on  Saturday  noon.  Following  the  picnic  members 
of  the  Society,  who  had  dressed  in  costumes  as  requested  by  the 
Park  County  Chapter,  participated  in  a  parade  through  the  main 


110 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


business  street  of  Cody  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  Katie  Brown, 
Parade  Chairman.  The  parade  ended  at  the  pageant  site  west  of 
Cody. 

The  Park  County  Chapter  of  the  State  Historical  Society  pre- 
sented the  pageant  "John  Colter"  before  a  large  crowd  at 
2:30  P.M.  Saturday.  The  site  of  the  pageant  was  approximately 
IVi  miles  west  of  Cody  on  the  north  side  of  the  highway  in  an 
open  area  which  served  as  an  excellent  outdoor  stage.  The 
pageant  followed  the  action  of  the  early  explorers,  trappers  and 
Indians  as  the  actors  depicted  the  history  of  the  Lewis  and  Clark 
Expedition,  the  exploits  of  John  Colter  after  leaving  that  expedi- 
tion and  becoming  a  trapper  under  Manuel  Lisa,  and  his  trek 
into  present-day  Wyoming.  Dr.  DeWitt  Dominick  read  the  script 
as  the  action  unfolded.  Mrs.  Lucille  Patrick  of  Cody  was  in 
charge  of  the  Pageant. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  L  H.  Larom  were  hosts  to  members  of  the  Society 
on  Sunday  at  a  buffet  luncheon  at  their  beautiful  ranch  at  Valley, 
Wyoming,  forty-five  miles  southwest  of  Cody. 

On  the  tour  to  Valley,  a  plaque  bearing  a  brief  legend  on  John 
Colter  was  dedicated  on  the  Southfork  Road  near  Castle  Rock. 
The  plaque  was  made  and  set  in  place  by  the  Park  County  His- 
torical Society. 


Historical  Marker  dedicated 
Sept.  29,  1957 


WYOMING  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  111 

Committees  —  1957-1958 

Dr.  T.  A.  Larson  appointed  the  following  committees  to  serve 
for  the  coming  year: 

AWARDS  COMMITTEE:  Mrs.  Thelma  Condit,  Chairman 

Two  members  to  be  appointed  by 
Mrs.  Condit 

SCHOLARSHIP  COMMITTEE:  Dr.  T.  A.  Larson,  Chairman 

LEGISLATIVE  COMMITTEE:  Mr.  Frank  C.  Mockler, 

Chairman 
Mrs.  Edness  Kimball  Wilkins 
Mr.  Earl  T.  Bower 
Mr.  David  Boodry 
Mr.  Ralph  Kintz 

SURVEY  OF  HISTORIC  SITES:  Mr.  E.  A.  Littleton, 

Chairman 

Additional  members  to  be 
appointed  later 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL  COMMITTEE:  L.  C.  Steege,  Chairman 

Charles  Ritter 

Convention  Committee 

Malcolm  Lewis  and  Dr.  DeWitt  Dominick,  Co-Chairmen 

Mrs.  Adolph  Spohr,  Registration 

Mrs.  DeWitt  Dominick  and  Mrs.  Babs  Smith,  Banquet 

Mrs.  Henrietta  Sturm,  Costumes 

Mrs.  Lucille  Patrick,  Pageant 

Mrs.  Katie  Brown,  Parade 

Mr.  Ned  Frost  and  Mr.  Earl  Newton,  Historical  Tours 

Mrs.  Harley  Kinkade  and  Boot  and  Bottle  Club,  Barbecue 

Mrs.  Lucille  Wiley  and  Harrison  Brewer,  Co-Publicity  Chairmen 

Dr.  M.  J.  Smith,  Chairman  of  Finance 

Mrs.  Price  McGee,  Decorations 

Mr.  Frank  O'Dasz,  Decorations  for  Scouts 

Mrs.  Harrison  Brewer,  Chairman  of  Makeup. 


Mook  Keviews 


The  Best  of  the  American  Cowboy.  Compiled  and  edited  by 
Ramon  F.  Adams  (Norman:  University  of  Oklahoma  Press, 
1957.     xiv  289  pp.     $4.95). 

Those  who  teach  courses  in  the  history  of  the  American  Frontier 
frequently  have  remarked  that  in  other  branches  of  the  historical 
field  supplementary  readings,  excerpts  taken  from  the  sources,  are 
available  for  student  use,  but  for  western  history  there  is  little  of 
this  to  be  had  aside  from  reprints  of  entire  books.  Ramon  Adams, 
the  well-known  Southwest  bibliophile  and  author,  now  takes  a  step 
toward  the  fulfilment  of  that  deficiency  by  offering  a  kind  of 
source  book  for  one  aspect  of  western  history — the  cattle  industry. 
When  he  dedicates  the  work  to  "All  those  native  historians  of  the 
past  generation  who,  by  leaving  us  their  personal  experiences  in 
America's  most  picturesque  industry,  prepared  the  way  for  our 
present  and  future  historians,"  he  explains  the  purpose  of  his  book. 

Few  aspects  of  western  history  have  been  more  exaggerated 
and  overly  romanticized  than  the  cowboy  and  his  work.  In  an 
attempt  to  get  at  the  truth  Adams  figuratively  puts  some  of  the 
witnesses  on  the  stand  to  hear  their  version.  The  reader  will 
"hear  from"  old  time  cattlemen,  ranging  all  the  way  from  well- 
known  Andy  Adams  and  Joseph  McCoy  down  to  the  hard-to-find 
accounts  of  Edgar  Rye,  Peter  Wright  and  Bob  Grantham  Quick- 
fall.  A  thorough  search  of  sources  produces  a  surprising  number 
of  these  old-time  accounts.  Adams  has  selected  twenty  seven  of 
the  most  representative,  dividing  his  work  into  three  sections:  The 
Cowboy,  The  Range,  and  The  Trail.  Understandably,  some  of 
these  are  high  in  literary  excellence  while  others  are  poorly  written 
reminiscences,  but  all  of  them  contain  historical  pay  dirt. 

The  editor  has  used  a  number  of  English  writings,  and  well  he 
should,  for  they  are  some  of  the  best  we  have  today.  Englishmen 
were  much  interested  in  the  financial  possibilities  on  the  western 
range  and  a  good  many  of  them  came  to  cash  in  on  the  "beef 
bonanza."  As  a  rule  they  were  highly  literate  individuals,  with 
keen  perception,  whose  accounts  are  both  valuable  and  enter- 
taining reading.  With  no  intention  of  criticizing,  the  reviewer 
suggests  that  William  A.  Baillie-Grohman's  Camps  in  the  Rockies 
(London  1882),  his  "Cattle  Ranches  in  the  Far  West,"  Fort- 
nightly Review  (June  1888),  and  John  Baumann's  "On  a  Western 
Ranche,"  Fortnightly  Review  (April  1887)  would  have  made  ex- 
cellent inclusions. 

For  the  student  who  wants  to  sample  the  real  stuff,  and  for  the 
general  reader  who  would  like  to  cut  away  the  underbrush  of  myth 


BOOK  REVIEWS  113 

for  a  look  at  raw  range  history,  The  Best  of  the  American  Cowboy 
fills  the  bill.  It  is  beautifully  set  off  with  sketches  by  the  incom- 
parable Nick  Eggenhofer. 

University  of  Colorado  Robert  G.  Athearn 


This  Is  the  West.  Edited  by  Robert  West  Howard.  (New  York, 
Chicago  and  San  Francisco:  Rand  McNally  and  Co.,  1957. 
248  pp.  Illus.  $6.00.)  (New  York:  New  American  Li- 
brary, 1957.     240  pp.  without  illus.,  paperback,  350.) 

The  full  panorama  of  the  West — from  a  fleeting  dip  into  the 
prehistoric  up  to  "the  now" — enfolds  before  one's  eyes  in  this 
fascinating  collection  of  essays. 

Robert  West  Howard  has  done  a  splendid  job  of  editing  and 
arranging  the  chapters  under  six  main  subject  headings.  Walter 
Prescott  Webb,  the  eminent  scholar  of  Western  Americana,  wrote 
the  brilliant  and  penetrating  introduction,  "What  Is  the  West?" 
Other  chapters  carry  by-lines  of  well-known  historians,  journalists, 
and  college  professors,  such  as  Stanley  Vestal,  S.  Omar  Barker, 
Mitzi  Zipf,  and  Don  Russell. 

Howard  himself,  in  the  first  division  "The  Land,"  briefly  gives 
the  geology  of  the  area,  explaining  how  the  physical  environment 
— the  rolling  plains,  the  majestic  mountains  with  their  fertile 
valleys,  and  the  desert — always  the  desert — have  determined  the 
flora  and  fauna  of  this  vast  geographical  division — The  West. 

Western  prototypes — mountain  men,  scouts,  soldiers,  cowboys 
and  herdsmen,  lawmakers,  preachers,  teachers,  saddle-bag  docs, 
and  prospectors — each  have  been  portrayed  with  an  incisive  chisel. 
The  women  are  not  forgotten — we  find  ladies  and  "The  Ladies" — 
those  respectable  and  those  less  so. 

The  last  section,  "The  West  You  Can  Enjoy,"  brings  us  up-to- 
date  in  three  fields.  "Places  to  See"  was  compiled  by  five  of  the 
largest  Corrals  of  the  Westerners.  It  was  not  prepared  as  a  com- 
prehensive guide,  but  rather  as  a  "taste-panel,"  stressing  historical 
sites  primarily.  "West  on  the  Range"  gives  in  detail  twelve  of 
the  most  famous — and  most  typical — western  recipes.  The  list 
of  1 25  of  the  "all-time  books  of  the  West"  also  was  chosen  by  the 
Westerners,  with  the  "top  ten"  receiving  most  frequent  mention. 

Much  of  the  book's  charm  comes  from  the  illustrations.  There 
are  many  of  them  ranging  from  small  chapter  headings  to  double- 
page  spreads  by  Charles  Russell  and  Frederic  Remington.  David 
Vernon  deserves  special  commendation  for  his  magnificent  job 
as  illustration  adviser. 

All  interested  in  Western  lore  are  indebted  to  the  Chicago 
Corral  for  this  splendid  addition  to  Western  Americana — it  was 
their  idea  and  their  project.     You  may  disagree  with  some  state- 


114  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ments  in  the  book;  but  taken  as  a  whole,  its  authenticity  is  above 
average. 

"This  Is  the  West"  is  not  a  history — it  is  the  spirit  of  the  West. 
The  acrid  smell  of  gun  smoke  mingles  with  that  of  sage  brush  and 
juniper.  The  bawling  of  the  moving  herds  is  heard  above  the 
tinkling  piano  of  the  honky  tonks.  The  Indians,  the  soldiers,  the 
lawmen  all  march  across  the  scene  along  with  the  gunmen  and 
the  badmen.  The  "Toters"  run  the  gamut  from  the  Pony  Express 
to  the  driving  of  the  Golden  Spike  in  the  first  transcontinental 
railroad. 

Yes,  this  is  the  spirit  of  that  gusty,  lusty,  dusty  land  west  of  the 
100th  meridian— "The  West." 

Cheyenne,  Wyoming  Mary  Read  Rogers 


From  Wilderness  to  Statehood,  a  History  of  Montana,  1805-1900. 
By  James  McClellan  Hamilton.  (Portland,  Ore.,  Binfords  & 
Mort,  1957.    620  pp.     $6.) 

At  the  present  writing,  "From  Wilderness  to  Statehood"  is  the 
only  general  history  of  Montana  in  print,  and  so  replaces  its 
several  predecessors  in  the  current  book  market.  There  is  great 
need  for  another  volume  to  interpret  the  profound  economic, 
social  and  political  changes  in  the  State  since  1900  to  the  present, 
the  dawn  of  another  rapidly  changing  era. 

Dean  J.  M.  Hamilton,  born  in  Illinois  in  1861,  came  to  Montana 
in  1889  as  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  Missoula  and  later  as  a 
member  of  the  University  faculty  there.  In  1904  he  moved  to 
Bozeman  where  he  served  on  both  the  administrative  and  teaching 
staffs  of  Montana  State  College.  Here  he  died  in  1940.  Collect- 
ing data  on  Montana's  history  had  long  been  a  prime  interest  of 
this  beloved  and  honored  citizen,  so  it  was  with  much  satisfaction 
that  Montanans  welcomed  his  book  in  1957.  The  devoted  and 
perceptive  editing  of  Dr.  Merrill  G.  Burlingame,  Head  of  the 
History  Department  at  Montana  State  College,  not  only  put  the 
book  through  the  press,  but  added  the  benefit  of  studies  made 
since  1940. 

The  book's  arrangement  is  chronological  in  subject  treatments, 
beginning  with  an  excellent  epitome  of  the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedi- 
tion and  ending  with  a  clarifying  chapter,  "Making  Montana  a 
State",  a  period  of  utmost  political  and  legal  confusion.  In  be- 
tween are  chapters  on  the  fur  trade,  early  explorations  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  between  the  Missouri  Valley  and  the  Columbia 
Basin,  emigrations  of  settlers,  the  sorry  tales  of  the  government's 
acquisition  of  Indian  lands  and  of  the  Indian  Wars  of  the  1 870s, 
the  harsh  violence  of  the  mining  era,  the  rise  of  agriculture  and 
business,  educational,  social  and  religious  institutions. 


BOOK  REVIEWS  115 

There  is  so  much  of  drama  and  high  tragedy  in  Montana's 
history  that  some  episodes  have  been  overstressed  in  its  hterature: 
the  Vigilantes,  the  steamboats  coming  to  Fort  Benton,  the  Battle 
of  the  Little  Big  Horn,  the  Clark-Daly  feud,  the  cattlemen's  era. 
Dean  Hamilton  has  fitted  these  gaudier  pieces  into  the  overall 
pattern  of  the  mosaic  so  that  they  do  not  outshine  that  pattern 
of  solid  growth  and  progress  achieved  by  a  remarkable  group  of 
men,  an  achievement  too  often  in  spite  of,  rather  than  with  the 
help  of  the  federal  government.  Curiously,  however,  his  under- 
statement carries  its  own  impact  and  points  up  the  drama  and  the 
enormities  more  than  a  moral  homily  might  have  done.  Perhaps 
this  is  a  reflection  of  the  writer's  own  warmth  and  deep  personal 
integrity.  His  "heroes"  emerge  from  the  pages  and  they  are  good 
to  know:  Lewis  and  Clark,  Isaac  L  Stevens,  Lt.  John  MuUan, 
Granville  Stuart,  Wilbur  Sanders,  James  WilUams,  T.  F.  Meagher, 
B.  F.  Potts,  Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles,  Chief  Joseph.  .  . 

This  volume  will  remain  an  indispensable  reference  tool  for 
historical  research  in  this  area  of  the  West.  The  bibliographical 
references  at  the  end  of  each  chapter  lead  the  student  to  further 
material.  Print,  bookmaking  and  index  are  excellent — but  more 
maps  than  the  one  on  the  endpapers  would  be  useful  to  the  reader. 

Bozeman,  Montana  Mrs.  Lois  B.  Payson 


Yesterdays'  Wyoming:  the  Intimate  Memoirs  of  Fenimore  C.  Chat- 
terton.  (Aurora,  Colorado,  Powder  River  Publishers,  1957. 
Illus.     133  pp.     $4.50) 

This  short  autobiographical  work  covers  a  long  period  of  Wyo- 
ming history.  Born  and  brought  up  in  the  East,  Fenimore  C. 
Chatterton  came  to  Wyoming  in  1878,  at  the  age  of  18,  to  take 
a  job  as  a  bookkeeper  in  a  general  store  at  Fort  Steele.  Before 
long  he  became  a  partner  in  the  store.  But  he  tired  of  merchan- 
dising and  turned  to  law.  In  later  years,  besides  practicing  law 
at  Rawlins,  Riverton  and  Cheyenne,  he  got  into  banking  and  the 
promotion  of  railroads  and  reclamation  projects.  He  also  entered 
politics.  He  served  two  terms,  1899-1907,  as  Wyoming  secretary 
of  state,  and  during  two  of  these  years,  1903-1905,  he  was  acting 
governor.    He  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  97  in  Aurora,  Colorado. 

Chatterton  is  a  conservative  Republican  who  is  scornful  of 
"bureaucrats",  the  Interior  Department,  the  New  Deal,  and 
"Spendthrift"  Harry  Truman. 

In  politics  Chatterton  made  a  fateful  decision  in  1893  that  has 
haunted  him  all  his  life.  In  the  legislature  which  was  trying  to 
choose  a  U.S.  Senator,  Chatterton  led  a  small  group  of  Republicans 
who  preferred  even  a  Democrat  to  Francis  E.  Warren.  Chatter- 
ton's  work  may  well  have  been  what  brought  a  stalemate.     In 


116  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

consequence,  Wyoming  had  only  one  Senator  in  Washington  the 
next  two  years,  but  thereafter  Warren  got  the  upper  hand  and 
maintained  it.  He  served  as  U.S.  Senator  for  the  next  35  years, 
having  served  two  years  previously.  Naturally  Warren  had  much 
influence  in  both  Wyoming  and  Washington.  After  two  years  as 
acting  governor,  Chatterton  wanted  to  be  his  party's  candidate  for 
governor  in  1904.  The  Warren  machine  rolled  over  him.  The 
Republican  convention  picked  B.  B.  Brooks  as  the  party  standard- 
bearer. 

Again,  when  trying  to  get  concessions  in  Washington  for  one  of 
his  reclamation  schemes,  Chatterton  was  rebuffed.  He  explains 
that  he  later  learned  that  "a  Senator"  had  sent  a  note  to  the 
President,  and  presumably  also  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior, 
which  read:  "Don't  grant  Chatterton  any  favors."  The  "machine", 
Chatterton  asserts,  also  blocked  one  of  his  railroad  projects. 

Chatterton  devotes  a  few  pages  to  the  Tom  Horn  case.  As 
acting  governor,  he  resisted  tremendous  pressures  and  refused  to 
commute  Horn's  death  sentence.  This  may  have  helped  to  side- 
track Chatterton  politically.  He  reports  that  "a  very  prominent 
character"  told  him  that  a  $100,000  fund  was  ready  to  block  his 
political  ambitions  if  he  would  not  commute  the  sentence. 

As  is  normally  the  case  with  memoirs,  Chatterton's  treatment 
of  controversial  matters  is  one-sided,  and  he  is  cautious  about 
"naming  names."  The  buffeting  he  took  in  politics  led  him  to 
conclude:  "I  found  that  very  few  political  promises  are  worthy  of 
credence.  There  are  too  many  'highwaymen'  in  politics."  One 
could  wish  that  Chatterton  had  given  more  "inside  information" 
about  his  promotion  of  railroads  and  reclamation  projects.  The 
story  of  the  promoter  has  been  neglected  in  Wyoming  history. 
Chatterton  was  a  busy  one,  who  could  cast  a  lot  of  light,  but  he 
is  so  vague  that  one  can  only  guess  at  what  was  going  on. 

In  a  foreword,  Chatterton  writes  that  his  manuscript  "has  been 
arranged  with  some  editing  and  suggestions  by  the  publishers." 
Unhappily  the  publishers  are  probably  the  sloppiest  in  the  country 
today.  They  need  to  hire  a  proofreader  who  is  familiar  with  Wyo- 
ming proper  names  and  who  can  spell.  This  slender  volume 
suffers  from  far  too  many  misspelled  words,  typographical  errors, 
and  garbled  sentences.  Without  exhausting  the  possibilities  this 
reviewer  counted  100  misspelled  words.  Also,  short  sections 
dealing  with  the  history  of  Wyoming  before  Chatterton's  time 
might  well  have  been  omitted,  or,  if  not  omitted,  these  sections 
should  have  been  corrected  to,  eliminate  such  errors  as  bringing 
Lewis  and  Clark  into  Wyoming,  and  having  Robert  Stuart  go  west 
through  Wyoming. 

Despite  the  wretched  way  in  which  the  manuscript  has  been 
handled  by  the  publishers,  Chatterton's  memoirs  make  fascinating 
reading. 

University  of  Wyoming  T.  A.  Larsen 


BOOK  REVIEWS  117 

Sun  Circles  and  Human  Hands,  the  Southeastern  Indians — Art 
and  Industry.  Edited  by  Emma  Lila  FunSaburk  and  Mary 
Douglass  Foreman.  (Luverne,  Alabama,  1957,  232  pages, 
$7.50.) 

This  volume  includes  an  excellent  collection  of  photographs  and 
line  drawings  of  archaeological  material  culture  from  southeastern 
United  States  brought  together  under  one  cover  in  such  a  manner 
that  useful  comparisons  may  be  made  and  the  non-specialist  quick- 
ly can  gain  considerable  insight  into  the  general  character  of  many 
material  products  of  Southeastern  Indians.  The  book  is  clearly 
aimed  at  the  lay  reader,  but  the  photographs  and  drawings  are 
also  useful  to  the  serious  student  of  American  archaeology.  This 
is  especially  true  because  many  items  usually  seen  at  different 
times  in  different  publications  may  be  compared  easily. 

Interspersed  among  the  sections  of  pictures  are  long  quotations 
(sometimes  substantially  complete  papers)  from  the  works  of 
modern  specialists  and  early  eye  witness  observers  of  Southeastern 
culture.  These  are  readily  available  elsewhere  in  the  literature  the 
student  commonly  uses,  though  some  people  of  casual  interest  may 
not  have  had  their  attention  drawn  to  them.  Some  are  fairly 
technical  papers  aimed  at  the  professional.  The  lay  reader  might 
have  some  difficulty  in  understanding  some  of  these  and  especially 
their  implications  without  a  general  knowledge  of  basic  problems 
and  knowledge  of  American  archaeology  as  a  whole.  The  book 
would  have  been  improved  for  popular  consumption  by  the  addi- 
tion of  a  glossary  of  technical  terms.  Better  than  that  the  editors 
might  have  rewritten  the  sections  they  quoted  for  more  direct 
orientation  to  specific  photographs,  for  explanation  in  more  popu- 
lar terms,  and  for  removal  of  unnecessary  obscure  references. 
Something  of  the  sort  is  also  true  of  the  picture  captions  many  of 
which  are  rather  long  quotations.  The  editors  probably  followed 
the  plan  they  used  in  order  to  preserve  unequivocally  the  meanings 
of  the  specialists  and  there  is  merit  in  their  idea.  This  writer's 
view  that  more  rewriting  would  have  produced  a  more  readable 
book  is  no  more  than  a  personal  opinion. 

The  book  begins  with  a  short  summary  of  Southeastern  pre- 
history written  by  the  editors  which  is  followed  by  the  alternating 
sections  of  pictures  and  quotations  arranged  topically  under  the 
following  headings:  Native  Trade,  Ceremonial  Complex,  Symbol- 
ism, Key  Marco,  Stone  and  Copper,  Pottery,  Wood,  and  Animal 
Products.  One  gets  the  feeling  from  the  section  headings  of  an 
inconsistent  series  of  categories  of  which  three  are  cultural  activ- 
ities, one  is  an  archaeological  site,  and  four  are  materials. 

After  the  topical  presentations  the  book  ends  rather  abruptly 
without  a  chapter  of  conclusions.  This  writer  would  like  to  have 
seen  some  effort  to  draw  the  material  together  in  some  sort  of 


118  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

summary  statement  which  would  express  the  general  notions  the 
editors  must  have  developed  in  assembling  their  data. 

This  book  could  have  been  improved  as  any  book  might  be. 
Taken  as  a  whole  this  writer,  who  is  not  a  specialist  in  the  South- 
east, liked  it  and  was  edified  by  it.  Especially  instructive  is  the 
large  collection  of  excellently  done  pictures.  It  is  a  worthwhile 
addition  to  the  library  of  anyone  interested  in  American  prehistory. 

Associate  Professor  of  Anthropology  William  Mulloy 

University  of  Wyoming 


The  Rocky  Mountain  Revolution,  by  Stewart  H.  Holbrook.  (New 
York:  Henry  Holt  and  Company,  1956.  318  pp.  Bibliog- 
raphy, maps,  index.     $3.95) 

The  Rocky  Mountain  Revolution  is  a  dramatic  story.  But  even 
though  the  climax  came  less  than  60  years  ago,  the  principals  in 
the  drama  are  all  gone  now.  Harry  Orchard  died  in  prison,  an 
old  man.  Bill  Borah,  who  became  "The  Lion  of  Idaho"  is  dead, 
and  so  also  is  Clarence  Darrow,  who  was  a  pretty  fair  lion  in  his 
own  right.  Big  Bill  Haywood  is  dead  in  Russia.  And  of  course 
it  was  the  death  of  Idaho's  ex-governor  Frank  Steunenberg  that 
began  the  last  act,  because  Harry  Orchard  killed  Steunenberg  with 
a  dynamite  bomb  one  snowy  day  in  1905. 

Stewart  Holbrook's  book  is  a  little  like  a  play — dramatis  per- 
sonae,  scenes,  dialogue,  stage  directions  and  all.  Substantially, 
it  is  the  story  of  Harry  Orchard,  the  stock,  smiling  cheese-maker, 
miner,  storekeeper,  bigamist,  and  dynamiter.  Orchard  got  his 
orders  (at  least  according  to  the  prosecution)  from  Haywood,  boss 
of  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners.  Borah  helped  prosecute 
Haywood,  and  Darrow  defended  him,  and  the  trial  rocked  the 
Northwest  harder  than  any  bomb  Orchard  ever  made.  There  is  a 
good  story  here,  and  Holbrook  has  dealt  faithfully  with  its  dramatic 
quality. 

Whether  he  has  dealt  equally  faithfully  with  it  as  history  is 
another  question.  Readable  though  the  book  is,  it  doesn't  treat 
its  subject  in  much  depth.  It  seems  to  lean  heavily  on  Harry 
Orchard's  autobiography,  and  there  are  grounds  for  fear  that  other 
sources  were  somewhat  slighted  —  especially  primary  sources. 
There  is  a  curious  "cardboard  cut-out"  quality  about  the  back- 
ground of  Orchard's  early  years,  and  a  certain  lack  of  development 
of  the  role  played  by  the  Western  Federation  of  Miners  in  the 
story  of  the  Northwest.  This  reviewer  also  sensed  a  lack  of  con- 
sistency in  the  author's  point  of  view  about  the  violence  he  calls 
the  Rocky  Mountain  Revolution;  at  some  points  in  his  narrative 
Mr.  Holbrook  condemns  it  heartily,  and  at  others  he  tends  to  speak 
with  sympathy  of  the  miner's  justification.    And  there  is  little  real 


BOOK  REVIEWS  119 

attempt  to  explain  what  made  Big  Bill  Haywood  tick — a  much 
needed  explanation. 

There  is  still  room  for  a  careful  study  of  the  factors  which  pro- 
duced Haywood's  character  and  the  violence  of  his  union.  There 
has  been  trouble  in  the  north  Idaho  mines  since  the  1880's,  and 
the  towns  in  the  valley  above  Wallace  are  about  as  depressed- 
looking  today  as  any  area  in  the  United  States.  The  reasons  for 
the  trouble  and  the  depression  are  things  we  need  to  know  and 
understand — -but  Mr.  Holbrook  doesn't  tell  us  much  about  reasons. 
The  Rocky  Mountain  Revolution  is  a  recital  of  the  events  as  they 
occurred. 

The  book  has  already  been  severely  handled  by  more  than  one 
primarily  academic  reviewer.  But  in  spite  of  its  shortcomings  as 
history — which  are,  I'm  afraid,  real — it  succeeds  very  well  indeed 
as  a  story.  It  is  hard  to  lay  the  book  down,  which  is  the  real  test 
of  any  story.  Whether  Mr.  Holbrook  intended  it  to  be  a  historic 
study  or  a  popularized  story  (and  which  sort  of  book  one  wants) 
has  to  make  all  the  difference  in  one's  judgement  of  it.  It  recounts 
the  thrilling  events  of  a  thrilling  and  violent  time,  and  certainly 
does  it  in  thrilling  style. 

Idaho  Historical  Society  H.  J.  Swinney 


The  Indian  Tipi,  Its  History,  Construction  and  Use.  By  Reginald 
&  Gladys  Laubin,  with  history  of  the  Tipi  by  Stanley  Vestal. 
(Norman,  Oklahoma  University  Press,  1957.  lUus.  195  pp. 
$3.95) 

To  one  who,  more  than  half  a  century  ago,  sat  by  the  flickering 
lodge  fires  of  the  Sioux,  listening  to  the  stories  of  the  buffalo  hunt 
and  the  war  parties,  related  by  seamy  faced  old  warriors,  long 
since  gone  to  hunt  the  white  buffalo,  and  then  to  lie  watching  the 
stars  twinkle  through  the  smoke  hole,  between  the  lodge  poles, 
this  fine  little  book  stirred  up  nostalgic  memories  which  have 
almost  faded  out  over  the  years. 

Reginald  and  Gladys  Laubin  certainly  know  their  tipis.  Their 
detailed  descriptions  and  the  introduction  and  history  of  the 
favorite  dwelling  of  the  Plains  Indians  by  Stanley  Vestal,  who 
passed  away  in  December,  provides  a  reference  work  which  every 
historian,  writer  and  artist  should  consider  a  must  in  their  libraries. 
Hollywood  should  buy  many  copies  so  that  they  would  not  con- 
tinue to  include  some  of  the  monstrosities  which  have  appeared 
from  time  to  time  in  western  movies. 

The  book  outlines  the  construction  and  types  of  lodges  of  several 
plains  tribes,  pointing  out  the  differences,  and  is  illustrated  with 
drawings  which  carefully  outline  how  materials  should  be  cut,  as 
well  as  a  very  interesting  number  of  sketches  showing  and  explain- 


120  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ing  the  symbolic  decorations  which  were  used  on  the  outside  of 
the  tipi. 

There  is  a  section  devoted  to  the  interior  of  the  lodge,  its  fur- 
nishings, fire  and  fuel,  cooking,  and  the  proper  etiquette  to  be 
observed  in  visiting  the  Plains  Indian  in  his  beautiful  home. 

The  publisher's  blurb  on  the  jacket  says  "The  American  Indian 
was  essentially  a  practical  man.  But  he  was  also  a  born  artist. 
As  a  result,  his  inventions  were  commonly  as  beautiful  as  they  were 
serviceable.  Other  tents  are  hard  to  pitch,  hot  in  summer,  cold  in 
winter,  badly  lighted,  unventilated,  easily  blown  down  and  ugly 
to  boot.  The  conical  tent  of  the  Plains  Indian  has  none  of  these 
faults.  It  can  be  pitched  by  a  single  person.  It  is  roomy,  well 
ventilated  at  all  times,  cool  in  summer,  well  lighted,  proof  against 
high  winds  and  heavy  downpours,  and,  with  its  cheerful  inside 
fire,  snug  in  the  severest  winter  weather.  Moreover,  its  tilted 
cone,  trim  smoke  flaps,  and  crown  of  branching  poles,  presenting 
a  different  silhouette  from  every  angle,  form  a  shapely,  stately 
dwelling  even  without  decoration." 

The  Laubins  include  in  the  work  methods  of  transporting  the 
tipi  by  the  modern  camper,  a  description  of  camp  circles  and 
modern  Indian  camps. 

They  dedicate  the  work  to  the  Plains  Indian  in  the  hope  that 
their  young  people  will  recapture  their  price  of  race,  love  of  color 
and  beauty,  and  an  appreciation  of  the  good  things  in  their  own 
great  heritage — a  very  worthwhile  objective. 

The  book  is  very  interesting  and  well  written  and  as  our  old 
Sioux  friends  would  say,  "Lila  Waste!"    Very  good! 

F.  H.  Sinclair  (Wi-nonpa:  Two  Moons) 
Sheridan,  Wyoming 


Contributors 


Edgar  Wright,  born  in  Piano,  Illinois,  February  27,  i: 
first  came  to  Wyoming  in  the  spring  of  1900  for  his  health.  Work- 
ing as  a  cowboy,  he  was  with  the  Kendrick,  Carey,  Jim  Shaw  and 
other  large  ranching  outfits  for  a  number  of  years.  He  got  his 
start  in  rodeo  at  the  Wyoming  State  Fair  in  Douglas  following 
which  he  performed  at  Cheyenne  Frontier  Days  and  all  other  out- 
standing rodeos  over  the  country.  In  later  years  he  promoted  and 
ran  many  rodeos  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States.  Each 
winter  for  eight  years  he  worked  in  pictures  for  such  stars  as  Tom 
Mix,  Harry  Carey,  William  S.  Hart  and  others.  For  four  years 
he  opened  with  the  Barnum  &  Bailey  show  in  Madison  Square 
Gardens.  For  a  number  of  years  following  World  War  I  he  was 
an  outstanding  clown  at  rodeos  throughout  the  United  States  and 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  121 

in  the  Hawaiian  Islands  and  London,  England.  ^He  is  now  retired 
and  lives  in  Duarte,  California.  Ed  Wright  is  the  author  of  The 
Representative  Old  Cowboy  Ed  Wright,  Poor  Hippy,  Poison  Spider 
and  New  Book  Pardners. 

Dick  J.  Nelson,  born  in  Mitchell  County,  Kansas,  May  29, 
1875,  came  to  Crook  County,  Wyoming,  with  his  family  in  1888, 
where  his  father  began  ranching  and  was  later  a  member  of  the 
first  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  the  newly  created  Weston 
County.  Dick  Nelson,  besides  ranching,  worked  for  the  C.  B.  &  Q. 
Railroad  for  45  years,  retiring  as  Division  Superintendent  at 
Sheridan,  Wyoming,  in  1939,  at  which  time  he  moved  to  San 
Diego,  California.  He  is  the  author  of  several  historical  booklets 
on  Wyoming:  Only  a  Cow  Country  (1951),  Wyoming  and  South 
Dakota  Black  Hills  (1953),  The  Old  West  and  Custer's  Last  Stand 
(1956),  and  Wyoming's  Big  Horn  Basin  of  Merit  (1957). 

Dr.  Raymond  C.  Bentzen  was  borir  and  raised  in  Sheridan, 
Wyoming,  which  is  still  his  home.  A  graduate  of  Sheridan  High 
School  and  the  University  of  Minnesota  (1929),  he  has  practiced 
dentistry  in  Sheridan  since  1929.  Dr.  Bentzen  is  the  president  of 
the  Wyoming  Archaeological  Society  and  has  held  offices  in 
numerous  civic  and  state  organizations.  He  was  Chairman  of  the 
State  Conservation  Committee  in  1956  and  a  National  Director 
of  the  Izaak  Walton  League  1952-54.  His  hobbies  include  hunt- 
ing, fishing,  target  and  trap  shooting,  photography,  Indian  artifact 
collecting  and  lecturing.  He  is  the  author  of  a  number  of  articles 
which  have  appeared  in  dental  journals  and  outdoor  magazines 
and  of  two  booklets,  Kenai  Kings  (1952)  and  Brown  Bear  (1956). 

Mrs.  Thelma  Condit.  See  Annals  of  Wyoming,  Vol.  29,  No. 
1,  April  1957,  page  120. 

Louis  C.  Steege.  See  Annals  of  Wyoming,  Vol.  29,  No.  1, 
April  1957,  page  121. 

Dale  L.  Morgan.  See  Annals  of  Wyoming,  Vol.  29,  No.  1, 
April  1957,  pages  120-121. 

Mrs.  Mae  Urbanek.  See  Annals  of  Wyoming,  Vol.  27,  No.  2, 
October  1955,  page  251. 


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BLACK   HILLS  STAGE  COACH  LEAVING   CHUGWATER 

Kirkland  Photo 
Wyoming  State  Archives  &  Historical  Department 


978.7 

I/.  30^  ff£>-  Z 


October  1958 


LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 
OF    WYOMING 

LARAMIE 


WYOMING   STATE  LIBRARY,   ARCHIVES  AND 
HISTORICAL  BOARD 

Fred  W.  Marble,  Chairman Cheyenne 

James  Bentley Sheridan 

Henry  Jones Hanna 

Mrs.  Lora  Jewett Pinedale 

Mrs.  Esther  Mockler Dubois 

Mrs.  Leora  Peters Wheatland 

Mrs.  Margaret  E.  Hall Moorcroft 

Mrs.  Lorraine  Stadius Thermopolis 

Attorney-General  Thomas  O.  Miller,  Ex-ojficio. 


WYOMING  STATE  ARCHIVES  AND  HISTORICAL 
DEPARTMENT 

STAFF 

Lola  M.  Homsher Director 

Henryetta  Berry Assistant  Director 

Reta  W.  Ridings Director  Historical  Division 

Lewis  K.  Demand Assistant  Archivist 

Loretta  Taylor Secretary 

Diana  Lucas Clerk  Typist 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  Annals  of  Wyoming  is  published  semi-annually  in  April  and 
October  and  is  received  by  all  members  of  the  Wyoming  State  Historical 
Society.  Copies  of  current  issues  may  be  purchased  for  $1.00  each. 
Available  copies  of  earlier  issues  are  also  for  sale.  A  price  list  may  be 
obtained  by  writing  to  the  Editor. 

Communications  should  be  addressed  to  the  Editor.  The  Editor  does 
not  assume  responsibility  for  statements  of  fact  or  of  opinion  made  by 
contributors. 


Copyright,  1958,  by  the  Wyoming  State  Archives  and 
Historical  Department. 


^mals  of  Wyoming 


Volume  30 


October  1958 


Number  2 


Lola  M.  Homsher 
Editor 


Reta  W.  Ridings 
Co-Editor 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

VERSITY  OF  WYOI^ING 
LARAMli 

Published  Biannually  by  the 

WYOMING  STATE  ARCHIVES  AND  HISTORICAL 
DEPARTMENT 


Official  Publication 
'■  of  the 
WYOMING  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


WYOMING  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

OFFICERS    1958-59 

President,  Mr.  A.  H.  MacDougall Rawlins 

First  Vice  President,  Mrs.  Thelma  Condit Buffalo 

Second  Vice  President,  Mr.  E.  A.  Littleton Gillette 

Secretary-Treasurer,  Miss  Maurine  Carley Cheyenne 

Executive  Secretary,  Miss  Lola  M.  Homsher Cheyenne 

Past  Presidents: 

Frank  L.  Bowron,  Casper 1953-1955 

William  L.  Marion,  Lander 1955-1956 

Dr.  DeWitt  Dominick,  Cody 1956-1957 

Dr.  T.  a.  Larson,  Laramie 1957-1958 


The  Wyoming  State  Historical  Socitey  was  organized  in  October  1953. 
Membership  is  open  to  anyone  interested  in  history.  County  Historical 
Society  Chapters  have  been  organized  in  Albany,  Campbell,  Carbon,  Fre- 
mont, Goshen,  Johnson,  Laramie,  Natrona,  Park,  Sweetwater,  Washakie 
and  Uinta  counties. 


Dues: 

Life   Membership $50.00 

Joint  Life  Membership  (Husband  and  wife) 75.00 

Annual    Membership 3.50 

Joint  Annual  Membership  (Two  persons  of  same  family  at 

same  address. ) 5.00 


Send  membership  dues  to: 

Wyoming  State  Historical  Society 
Executive  Headquarters 
State  Office  Building 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


97^.7 


Zable  of  Contents 


l/.3o  /o^,Z 

LETTERS  FROM  THE  FRONTIER— 1867  127 

Henry  C.  Parry 
EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  TELEPHONE  IN  WYOMING  145 

John  E.  Gnam 
THE  HECK  REEL  WAGON  BURNING  _.   152 

J.  W.  Vaughn  and  L.  C.  Bishop 
THE  BEGINNING  OF  A  GREAT  EMBLEM  163 

George  N.  Ostrom 
QUO  VADIS  IN  WYOMING,  MARCH  1876  168 

Edmund  A.  Bojarski 
MEMORIAM  FROM  ONE  OLD  SOLDIER  TO  ANOTHER 171 

Minnie  Presgrove 
THE  HOLE-IN-THE-WALL,  Part  V,  Section  3  175 

Thelma  Gatchell  Condit 
OREGON  TRAIL  TREK  NO.  SEVEN  193 

Compiled  by  Maurine  Carley 
WYOMING  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  NOTES 214 

Archaeological  Research  in  Wyoming  During  1958  by  L.  C.  Steege 

Stone  Artifacts  by  L.  C.  Steege 
WYOMING  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  219 

Fifth  Annual  Meeting 

BOOK  REVIEWS 

Lewis,  The  Autobiography  of  the  West  227 

Wister,  Owen  Wister  Out  West  228 

Whittenburg,  Wyoming's  People  229 

Shirley,  Buckskin  and  Spurs 230 

Sandoz,  The  Cattlemen  231 

Peterson,  American  Knives  232 

Madsen,  The  Bannock  of  Idaho 233 

Urbanek,  The  Uncovered  Wagon  234 

Harpending,  The  Great  Diamond  Hoax  234 

Elston,  Wyoming  Manhunt  236 

DeBarthe,  Life  and  Adventures  of  Frank  Grouard 236 

Gage,  Tensleep  and  No  Rest  237 

CONTRIBUTORS    238 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Letters  From  The  Frontier— 1867  126,  130,  134,  136,  143 

The  Heck  Reel  Wagon  Burning 156 

The  Beginning  of  a  Great  Emblem  166 

The  Hole-in-the-Wall  176,  186 

Oregon  Trail  Trek  No.  7  196,  207 

Stone  Artifacts   216 

Cheyenne  Historical  Marker  226 

Maps:     Heck  Reel  Wagon  Train  Site 154 

Oregon  Trail  Trek  No.  7 194 

INDEX    241 


=3 


Ccttersfrom  tke  7wntieMS67  * 

By 
Henry  C.  Parry 

Dr.  Henry  C.  Parry  was  born  in  1839  in  Pottsville,  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  son  of  a  local  attorney  who  later  became  a  Judge. 
He  attended  Lititz  Academy  and  graduated  in  1861  from  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  Medical  School.  During  the  Civil  War 
he  saw  action  at  Shiloh,  Chancellorsville,  and,  as  Chief  Surgeon 
to  Sheridan's  Cavalry  Reserve  Brigade,  at  Winchester,  Cedar 
Creek  and  Petersburg. 

Major  Parry  left  the  Army  in  1868,  married  and  had  a  son  and 
a  daughter,  and  settled  in  Germantown,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  He 
practiced  medicine  there  until  his  death  in  1893. 

His  son,  Judge  George  G.  Parry  of  Philadelphia,  had  seven  sons, 
one  of  whom,  Edward  Owen  Parry  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  edited  these 
letters. 

After  four  Civil  War  years  in  the  U.  S.  Army  Medical  Corps, 
young  Major  Henry  C.  Parry  was  assigned  as  medical  officer  to 
the  Union  Pacific  Railway  Commission.  In  1867  the  railway  was 
being  built  from  North  Platte,  Nebraska,  to  Fort  Sedgwick,  Colo- 
rado Territory,  and  planned  from  that  point  westward  to  its 
destination  in  Utah.  Confronted  daily  with  new  experiences,  he 
recorded  them  in  letters  to  his  father,  Judge  Edward  Owen  Parry, 
of  Pottsville,  Pennsylvania.  The  first  four  of  these  letters  were 
written  while  he  was  on  his  way  to  join  the  Commission  headed 
by  Major  General  Grenville  M.  Dodge;  the  other  five  cover  his 
period  of  service  with  the  Commission. 


Life  in  North  Platte 

In  the  Field  Near  North  Platte,  N.  T. 
May  16,  1867 

Last  night  the  regiment  left  Omaha  and  arrived  here  a  few  hours 
ago  and  went  into  bivouac  on  a  pleasant  piece  of  prarie  land. 
From  here  we  march  to  Forts  Laramie  and  Sedgwick.     I  have 


*  Reprinted  by  permission  of  the  author  and  The  General  Magazine  and 
Historical  Chronicle,  University  of  Pennsylvania  from  April  1958  issue. 


128  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

enjoyed  my  journey  so  far  very  much.  Passing  along  in  the  cars 
I  saw  any  number  of  Pawnee  Indians  watching  their  herds  of 
horses.  I  met  with  an  old  trader  who  seemed  to  enjoy  my  igno- 
rance of  life  in  the  "Far  West,"  and  voluntarily  gave  me  a  great 
deal  of  information.  He  pointed  out  a  piece  of  land  that  was 
studded  with  little  dirt  mounds,  each  having  a  hole  in  the  top.  By 
each  hole  sat  an  animal,  looking  like  an  immense  squirrel.  These 
animals  were  prarie  dogs,  the  dirt  mounds  their  homes.  The 
ground  I  speak  of  is  known  as  Dog  Town.  I  saw  quite  a  number 
of  antelopes  on  the  plains.  The  prarie  land  beyond  Omaha  is  as 
level  as  a  floor.  On  each  side  of  the  railroad,  and  as  far  as  the 
eye  can  reach,  is  seen  a  vast  level  expanse  of  green  land.  The 
streams  that  flow  into  the  Missouri  River  are  filled  with  fish,  and 
game  of  the  best  kind  flutter  up  from  the  prarie  as  the  engine 
goes  by  them.  .  .  . 

I  found  as  I  passed  through  North  Platte  that  the  Indians  had 
driven  all  the  traders  and  miners  in  from  the  mountains,  and  at 
North  Platte  they  (the  miners  and  traders)  were  having  a  good 
time,  gambling,  drinking,  and  shooting  each  other.  There  are 
fifteen  houses  in  North  Platte:  One  hotel,  nine  eating  or  drinking 
saloons,  one  billiard  room,  three  groceries,  and  one  engine  house, 
belonging  to  the  Pacific  Railroad  Company.  The  last  named 
building  is  the  finest  structure  in  the  station. 

I  observed  that  in  every  establishment  the  persons  behind  the 
counters  attended  to  their  customers  with  loaded  and  half-cocked 
revolvers  in  their  hands.  Law  is  unknown  here,  and  the  people 
are  about  to  get  up  a  vigilance  committee.  We  march  tomorrow 
or  the  next  day.  .  .  . 

A  March  on  the  Prairies 
In  Camp  Near  Fort  Sedgwick,  Colorado  T. 
June  9,  1867 

When  I  wrote  last  I  was  about  to  leave  North  Platte  station  for 
Fort  Sedgwick.  I  was  unable  to  obtain  a  horse  at  Omaha,  and 
therefore,  was  compelled  to  walk  one  hundred  and  six  miles.  I 
never  experienced  so  much  fatigue  in  my  life  as  I  did  in  marching 
over  the  plain.  The  first  day  officers  and  men  were  glad  to  halt 
in  the  evening,  and  every  one  of  us  came  into  camp  with  scorched 
faces  and  blistered  feet.  An  old  soldier  gave  me  a  pair  of  mocca- 
sins on  the  second  day  of  our  march,  saying,  "The  Doctor  will  find 
these  easier  to  walk  in.  I  wore  them  over  the  same  road  we  are 
going  now  in  '56.  The  Doctor  don't  remember  me.  I  served 
with  the  Doctor  and  was  sick  in  the  hospital  when  the  Doctor  first 
joined."  I  did  not  remember  the  man,  but  I  did  not  tell  him  so. 
The  moccasins  were  about  four  sizes  too  large  for  me,  but  they 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  FRONTIER— 1867  129 

were  comfortable,  and  the  pain  I  felt  by  walking  in  my  shoes 
quickly  subsided. 

Our  course  lay  about  a  mile  from  the  north  border  of  the  Platte, 
an  unnavigable,  dirty,  shallow,  unreliable  stream  filled  with  quick 
sands,  and  about  a  mile  in  breadth.  Not  a  tree,  bush,  not  even  a 
stick  of  wood  was  seen  on  the  route — nothing  but  one  broad,  level 
expanse  of  green  land,  dotted  with  little  patches  of  tall  prarie 
grass.  Occasionally  we  could  see  in  the  dim  distance  a  long  border 
of  rising  land  in  the  form  of  hillocks,  called  in  the  country  canons 
(canyons).  Antelopes,  rabbits,  prarie  dogs,  white  owls  and  rattle- 
snakes were  before  us  every  hour  in  the  day,  and  birds  were  shot 
in  such  numbers  that  the  men  spoke  of  bacon  in  the  harshest  terms. 
Fine  antelopes  were  killed,  and  quite  a  number  of  rabbits.  Nearly 
all  the  men  and  nearly  all  the  officers'  servants  carried  shot  guns. 
Those  who  were  thus  armed  skirmished  along  the  river  side  and 
in  the  marshes  for  birds.  We  all  lived  well,  and  the  only  grumbling 
I  heard  was  against  the  bad,  dirty  water.  We  struck  our  tents 
every  morning  at  three  o'clock,  marched  very  slow,  and  went  into 
camp  every  afternoon  at  four  o'clock.  We  marched  seven  days. 
The  heat  was  intense  and  the  sun  broiling.  .  .  . 

It  always  affords  amusement  on  a  long  and  protracted  march, 
to  hear  the  men  joke  with  one  another.  I  heard  one  fellow  say: 
"If  anybody  had  told  me  that  there  was  such  a  flat  country  in  the 
world,  I  would  have  told  him  he  was  a  liar  to  his  face!"  Another 
said  to  the  man  who  was  in  front  of  him  and  who  was  suffering 
from  sore  feet:  "Jimmy,  with  the  walk  you've  got,  you  look  as  tf 
you've  been  riding  a  rail  all  your  life."  To  this  the  man  retorted 
"Who  wouldn't  be  a  soldier  and  tramp  the  praries!  Do  you  want 
to  spend  all  your  summers  on  Governor's  Island?"  Another  said: 
"I  like  to  see  things  level,  but  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  want  to  see  any 
more  of  it!" 

The  railway  is  being  laid  very  rapidly.  Every  few  miles  I  saw 
gangs  of  men  grading  the  road.  It  was  a  grateful  sight  to  me,  as  I 
was  resting  in  front  of  my  tent  one  evening,  to  see  an  engine  snort- 
ing along  with  empty  truck  cars,  eastern  bound.  In  twenty  more 
days,  you  will  be  able  to  go  to  North  Platte  in  five  hours,  and 
three  days  after  that  you  can  be  in  Chicago.  The  working  parties 
on  the  road  are  protected  by  infantry  soldiers.  Every  ten  or 
fifteen  miles  you  will  come  to  what  is  called  a  "Ranche."  This 
consists  of  a  little  house  made  of  earth  cut  into  slabs  and  plastered 
with  mud.  Buildings  made  in  this  manner  are  called  "Adobeys." 
They  are  fire  proof,  snow-proof,  and  bullet-proof.  A  few  men  in 
an  "Adobey"  with  good  fire  arms  and  plenty  of  ammunition  can 
defy  more  than  a  hundred  Indians.  These  ranches  are  kept  by 
two  or  three  rough-looking  fellows  who  sell  tobacco,  whiskey  and 
prarie  hay  to  the  drivers  of  the  "Bull  Teams,"  which  are  constantly 
passing  over  the  road.    All  the  merchandise  that  is  sent  to  Denver 


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LETTERS  FROM  THE  FRONTIER— 1867  131 

City  from  the  East  is  hauled  by  great  teams  otoxen.  When  the 
wagons  return  to  North  Platte,  you  will  find  that  they  are  all 
hitched  together,  making  a  single  train,  and  as  many  as  twenty 
yoke  of  oxen  pulling  it. 

We  did  not  see  any  Indians  on  the  march.  They  are  all  on  the 
war  path,  and  when  they  see  or  rather  know  that  a  large  armed 
force  is  near  them  they  keep  out  of  sight.  Several  bands  of  the 
Cheyenne  tribes  cleared  out  all  the  ranches  between  twenty  miles 
west  of  the  Platte  and  Julesburg,  killing  men,  women  and  children, 
pulling  down  their  houses  and  driving  off  their  horses  and  cattle. 
All  the  women  from  Julesburg  have  come  into  the  fort  for  pro- 
tection. The  stages  were  never  known  to  be  attacked  before  for 
twelve  years.  Every  day  the  passengers  have  a  skirmish  with  the 
Indians.  The  overland  company  now  runs  three  stages  at  a  time, 
and  will  do  so  until  the  government  gives  them  an  escort. 

Those  beautiful  descriptions  of  Indian  character  by  Irving  and 
Cooper  are  outrageous  misrepresentations.  Thoroughbred  Indians 
cannot  be  tamed.  In  peace  they  are  rough  and  brutal,  selfish, 
showing  no  affection  whatever  for  their  families.  In  war,  cruelty 
and  torture  are  their  chief  study.  In  close  quarter  they  fight  like 
demons,  and  show  no  mercy.  They  never  attack  unless  they  are 
sure  of  coming  off  victorious.  I  am  told  that  they  are  much  like 
the  Bedouin  Arabs  in  their  mode  of  fighting.  They  will  ride  up 
within  arrow  range  of  you;  suddenly  disappearing  behind  their 
horses,  and  under  the  necks  of  the  animals,  they  rapidly  discharge 
their  arrows — then  they  are  off  and  out  of  sight  among  the  canons 
in  a  moment. 


Plan  of  Fort  Sedgwick 

Don't  suppose  that  Fort  Sedgwick  is  erected  in  the  style  of  the 
forts  that  guard  our  harbors  in  the  East.  It  is  situated  on  a  plain, 
on  the  southern  border  of  the  South  Platte,  midway  between 
Denver  City  and  Fort  Laramie,  but  further  east  than  those  places, 
and  consists  of'Adobeys"  of  two  stories,  and  one  story  high 
around  the  parade  ground.  There  is  a  parapet  and  a  ditch,  and 
at  the  head  of  the  parade  ground  are  built  two  double  houses, 
intended  for  the  officers  of  the  post.  The  buildings  of  the  fort, 
including  the  barracks,  hospital,  Quartermaster's  shop,  etc.,  cover 
the  space  of  one-half  square  mile.  All  the  buildings  have  windows 
provided  with  a  barricade  that  can  be  put  up  at  any  time.  This 
barricade  is  pierced  with  loop  holes.  Should  the  Indians  attack 
in  the  night,  which  time  they  generally  select,  everybody  about 
the  fort  is  ready  for  them.  The  "Adobeys"  are  situated  in  such  a 
way,  that  if  one  is  attacked,  the  Indians  involve  themselves  in  a 
destructive  cross-fire. 


132  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Staging  on  the  Plains 


To  see  the  stages  go  by  on  the  plains  reminds  me  of  my  boy- 
hood, when  I  used  to  stand  at  the  Pennsylvania  Hotel  ( Pottsville ) , 
looking  at  and  admiring  Weaver's  stages,  and  wondering  how  it 
was  possible  that  any  man  could  drive  four  horses  at  a  time.  Hard 
by  our  camp  is  a  ranche,  where  the  stages  change  horses,  and  the 
passengers  get  their  meals.  At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the 
stages,  six  and  eight  horse  ones,  come  in  from  the  east  on  a  full 
gallop,  and  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  come  in  from  the 
west.  There  are  generally  nine  inside  and  one  or  two  outside 
passengers.  The  guard  sits  on  top,  with  his  legs  dangling  over 
the  side  of  the  stage.  The  driver  is  a  stern  looking  man,  with  a 
tremendous  moustache,  with  four  Colt  revolvers  in  his  belt, 
and  the  most  approved  pattern  of  the  "Henry"  rifle  between  his 
knees.  He  has  the  air  of  a  man  who  was  born  in  danger,  lived  in 
danger,  expects  it,  and  is  cooly  determined  to  make  the  most  of  it. 
He  is  not  of  the  class  of  the  coachman  described  by  English  writers, 
as  being  a  portly,  red  faced,  blue-eyed  jolly  man,  neatly  dressed, 
and  carrying  in  his  buttonhole  a  rose,  but  is  just  as  I  have  described 
him.  He  seldom  has  anything  to  say,  but  when  he  does  speak,  it 
is  to  the  point,  and  nothing  more.  The  man  I  have  just  described 
is  known  as  "Terrible  Jake."  He  enjoys  this  cognomen  from  the 
fact  of  having  killed  quite  a  number  of  Indians,  and  always  being 
victorious  in  all  his  fights.  My  candle  is  burning  low,  and  I  must 
bid  you  good  night. 

A  report  has  just  come  in  that  50  Cheyennes  are  attacking 
Julesburg.  It  is  true,  for  we  can  hear  their  yelling.  "To  Horse!" 
is  sounding  in  the  cavalry  barracks  at  the  fort,  and  soon  a  company 
will  be  dashing  down  the  road  to  the  rescue. 


An  Indian  Raid  on  Julesburg 

June  10,  1867 

I  have  just  got  back  from  Julesburg.  The  Cheyennes  came 
down  on  the  place  last  night  about  seven  o'clock,  and  were  hand- 
somely repulsed.  They  killed  two  men,  scalped  them,  and  muti- 
lated their  bodies  in  the  most  brutal  manner.  Several  Indians 
were  wounded,  and  only  one  was  killed.  I  visited  five  men  who 
were  wounded  by  arrows.  I  never  saw  an  arrow  wound  before, 
and  regard  them  as  worse  than  a  bullet  wound.  One  of  the  men 
killed  was  lying  on  the  ground,  pinned  to  the  earth  by  an  arrow 
through  his  neck.  He  must  have  been  shot  after  he  had  been 
scalped.  I  thought  that  Mosby's  guerrillas  could  not  be  excelled  in 
brutality,  but  the  Indians  surpass  them  in  every  way.  In  the 
Valley  a  person  had  one  chance  in  twenty  for  his  life,  but  here 
there  is  no  quarter. 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  FRONTIER— 1867  133 

Civilization  Arrives  with  the  Railroad 

Fort  Sedgwick,  June  23,  1867 

The  railway  is  now  laid  within  a  mile  of  this  place,  along  the 
north  border  of  the  Platte.  You  can  readily  think  how  rejoiced 
we  all  were  when  we  heard  the  shrill  whistle  of  the  engine,  and 
saw  in  the  dim  distance  its  dark  form  come  puffing  toward  us. 
Every  cloud  of  its  white  smoke  seemed  to  bring  with  it  peace  and 
civilization  over  the  plains  of  the  far  West.  Every  ranch  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Platte  has  moved  over  to  the  rail- way  side.  Old 
Julesburg  is  no  more,  and  a  new  Julesburg  has  been  estabhshed. 
Colorado  City  is  in  embryo  directly  opposite  us,  and  the  inhabi- 
tants of  North  Platte  are  coming  to  be  its  first  people.  Should 
I  be  spared  to  be  an  aged  man,  and  if  in  that  distant  time  I  should 
hear  any  young  scion  boast  that  he  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  the  great  City  of  Colorado,  I  can  tell  him  that  I 
know  all  about  his  illustrious  ancestors. 

Sedgwick  is  now  the  first  stage  station  on  the  plains  for  travellers 
from  the  East.  Nearly  all  the  coaches,  express  wagons  and  horses, 
have  been  moved  further  west.  .  .  .  Sometime  ago  a  family  of  the 
Sioux  Indians  came  down  near  the  Fort  for  protection.  Their 
Chief  is  a  petty  one,  named  Red  Bead,  who  has  always  been 
supposed  to  be  on  good  terms  with  the  whites.  For  this  reason 
his  tribe  threatened  his  life,  robbed  him  of  his  stock,  and  compelled 
him  to  leave  their  lodges.  He  has  pitched  his  "teepees"  or  tents, 
three  in  number,  close  to  the  river  side,  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  from  the  fort.  There  he  lives  with  his  squaws,  children,  and 
his  son-in-law.  Strange  to  say,  a  mulatto  marrieci  one  of  his 
daughters.  Jack  is  the  mulatto's  name.  He  has  lived  with  Red 
Bead  for  the  last  twenty  years.  The  teepees  are  constructed  with 
hickory  poles  tied  together  at  the  top,  and  spread  in  such  way  as  to 
form  a  cone.  Over  the  poles  are  spread  prepared  buffalo  skins, 
neatly  sewed  together,  so  as  to  form  one  piece,  the  edges  of  which 
are  held  in  apposition  at  the  front  of  the  tent,  by  long  wooden  pins. 
The  whole  structure  is  fastened  to  the  ground  by  stakes.  During 
cold  or  wet  weather  you  will  see  in  the  centre  of  the  tent  a  small 
trench  dug  in  the  ground,  containing  fire,  over  which  is  placed  two, 
three,  or  four  pieces  of  stone,  hewn  in  the  shape  of  bars.  At  this 
rude  grate  a  squaw  may  be  seen  sitting,  cooking  their  meals  on  a 
large  flat  stone,  or  boiling  dried  buffalo  meat.  About  the  tent, 
pushed  back  from  the  heat  of  the  fire,  are  strewn  and  carelessly 
heaped  up,  blankets,  antelope  skins,  curiously  painted  buffalo 
robes,  fire-wood,  cooking  utensils,  and  "buffalo-chips."  You  will 
also  probably  see  lying  on  his  blanket,  a  half-naked  Indian,  either 
smoking  his  pipe  or  pulling  out  the  hairs  on  his  face.  Also  two 
or  three  squaws,  painting  skins,  making  moccasins,  or  nursing 
their  babies.  Near  the  top  of  the  tent  are  stretched  from  pole  to 
pole  long  thin  pieces  of  twisted  hide,  whereon  are  hung  broad, 


OF  THK 

VERSITY  OF  WYOMI 

LARAMIE 


134 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Courtesy  Edward  O.  Parry 
Indian  Lodges  at  Henry's  Fork,   1867.     (Savage  &  Ottinger  Photo) 

thin  pieces  of  various  kinds  of  meat,  drying  by  the  smoky  heat  of 
the  fire.  In  the  warm,  pleasant  days,  the  Indians  he  outside  of 
their  wigwams,  doing  their  work  and  communicating  with  each 
other  by  sonorous  grunts,  pecuhar  to  their  language.  There  is  an 
implacable  feud  existing  between  the  Sioux  and  Pawnees,  and 
wherever  they  meet  a  deadly  fight  ensues,  the  latter  invariably 
leaving  the  field  the  conquerors.  The  Pawnees  are  friendly,  and 
have  a  large  reservation  land.  There  are  two  companies  of  them 
employed  as  scouts,  and  whenever  they  come  over  this  side  of  the 
river,  Red  Bead  and  his  family  are  invisible  until  they  go  away. 


"The  Only  Good  Indian  ..." 

The  more  I  think  of  the  Indian,  the  more  I  am  inclined  to  dislike 
him.  I  have  seen  three  different  tribes;  the  Omahas,  Pawnees,  and 
Sioux.  I  know  very  little  from  personal  observation  of  their  cus- 
toms, but  I  can  say  their  habits  and  mode  of  living  are  filthy  in 
the  extreme.  Their  sneaking,  treacherous  ways  throw  a  feeling  of 
dread  over  one,  when  he  knows  he  is  with  them  alone.  An  Indian 
does  not  knock  before  he  enters  a  house.  The  first  intimation 
you  have  of  his  presence  (if  he  is  friendly)  is  his  dark  immovable 
countenance  looking  through  a  window.  If  you  sternly  beckon 
him  away,  he  goes;  if  you  signify  he  may  enter  he  does  so.  If  you 
treat  an  Indian  kindly  he  fancies  you  consider  him  your  superior, 
and  hold  him  in  awe.  With  this  notion  he  returns  your  kindness 
by  taking  your  life,  accompanied  with  any  torture  his  mind  may 
suggest.  The  Indian  reasons  thus:  "We  are  a  noble,  stern,  and 
stoical  people,  we  are  a  race  that  is  alone  beloved  by  the  Great 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  FRONTIER— 1867  135 

Spirit.  The  pale  face  have  no  father  but  the  De^il,  and  if  he  is  not 
with  them  they  cannot  go  on  the  war  path."  This  is  the  sum  and 
substance  of  what  an  agent  of  the  Overland  Express  told  me  he 
heard  interpreted  at  an  Indian  Council.  The  tribes  of  the  plain 
must  be  given  a  tremendous  thrashing  such  as  General  Harney 
gave  them  once,  and  forced  into  subjection.  Unless  this  is  done 
after  their  own  brutal  mode  of  fighting,  they  will  be  for  many 
years  as  they  are  now,  the  terror  of  the  plains.  The  Indians  laugh 
and  hoot  at  the  infantry  and  boldly  ride  within  reach  of  their 
(the  infantry)  muskets,  then  ducking  under  the  bellies  of  their 
fleet  ponies  pat  their  breech  clouts  defiantly.  They  seem  to  exhibit 
more  respect  for  the  cavalry  inasmuch  as  when  they  see  mounted 
men  they  watch  from  the  top  of  some  canon  and  when  the  cavalry 
turns  toward  them,  they  disappear  in  a  manner  that  is  quite  mar- 
velous. The  grass  is  growing  very  fast  and  high  on  the  praries.  A 
person  can  lie  fifteen  yards  from  you  and  be  out  of  sight.  The 
Indians  glory  in  this  for  it  aids  them  in  their  attacks.  You  may 
wonder  why  the  Indians  never  attempt  to  destroy  the  telegraph 
wires.  They  entertain  a  superstition  that  the  Great  Spirit  walks 
upon  the  wire. 

Crossing  the  River  Platte  at  Night 
'  Camp  Crow  Creek,  Dacotah  T. 

July  6,  1867 

More  than  a  week  ago  I  wrote  you  a  hurried  letter  stating  that 
I  was  on  the  eve  of  marching  with  an  expedition  under  Gen. 
Dodge.  The  commissioners  having  arrived  at  the  present  termina- 
tion of  the  railroad,  opposite  Sedgwick,  sooner  than  they  were 
expected,  Lieutenant  S  .  .  .  and  I  received  an  order  to  cross  the 
Platte  in  the  night,  (Wednesday,  June  26)  instead  of  on  the  follow- 
ing morning,  as  our  first  order  read.  Picture  to  yourself  a  dark 
night,  on  a  broad  plain,  and  a  broad  turbulent  river  flowing  in  the 
center  of  the  prarie,  and  by  the  river  side  a  huge  raft,  laden  with 
two  horses,  a  wagon,  and  heaps  of  baggage.  See  through  the 
darkness,  naked  men  plunging  and  wading  in  the  water,  pulhng  at 
ropes  to  keep  the  raft  from  going  down  the  stream,  while  others, 
with  poles,  are  pushing  the  raft  across  the  river  with  all  their 
might.  All  the  help  and  force  of  our  little  party  are  put  in  play. 
Payche  with  her  puppies  in  a  box,  not  distinctly  knowing  where 
she  is,  yelps  despair  in  piercing  tones,  and  looks  to  me  and  John 
[the  author's  servant]  with  pointed  ears,  beseechingly  for  an 
explanation.  .  .  . 

An  hour  has  passed  and  we  are  only  in  the  middle  of  the  stream. 
S  ...  is  hoarse  and  so  am  I,  with  bawling  advice  to  the  men,  who 
are  growing  chilly  and  tired.  Fortunately  a  sand  bar  arrests  our 
progress  and  we  all  enjoy  a  brief  rest.     Whiskey  is  administered 


136  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

to  the  men,  then  we  resume  our  voyage,  and  with  a  repetition  of 
our  difficulties,  gain  the  opposite  bank,  two  miles  below  where  we 
intended  to  land.  It  was  midnight  when  our  tents  were  pitched 
and  sentinels  posted.  Next  morning  we  reported  to  Gen.  Dodge. 
The  train  was  formed,  and  with  an  escort  from  the  4th  Infantry, 
and  eighty  Pawnee  Indians,  whose  services  in  this  country  cannot 
be  valued  too  highly,  we  took  a  northwesterly  direction.  Every 
man  rode,  either  in  wagons  or  on  horseback.  We  marched  rapidly. 
"Reveille"  sounded  at  2  A.  M.  and  "unsaddle  and  go  into  camp" 
at  3  P.  M.  and  sometimes  at  1 1  A.  M.  Our  course  lay  along  the 
line  of  the  railroad  that  is  to  be.  Every  ten  miles  we  met  grading 
parties,  with  their  sentinels  on  the  distant  bluffs  looking  out  for 
Indians,  who  frequently  attack  the  graders. 

First  View  of  the  Rockies 

The  land  in  Dacotah  is  like  that  in  Colorado,  and  is  blooming 
with  fragrant  and  beautifully  tinted  flowers.  Diminutive,  purple 
morning  glories,  sweetly  scented  roses,  yellow  butter-cups,  and 
crimson  bell  shaped  flowers  are  blooming  in  luxurious  profusion 
on  the  plains  and  among  the  canons.  In  the  bottom  lands  where 
it  is  wet  and  thick  with  long  broad  blades  of  grass,  lilies  rear  their 
delicate  white  heads  and  make  the  spots  they  grow  on  seem  in  the 
distance  like  pools  and  winding  streams  of  milk.  No  plant  is 
prettier  than  the  cactus,  which  shoots  forth  its  red  and  golden 
flowers  in  June  and  July.  Leaving  Pole  Creek  and  striking  an  old 
Spanish  trail  that  was  found  after  some  search,  we  crossed  a  long 


Courtesy  Edward  O.  Parry 

Fording  the  River  Platte  at  or  near  Fort  Sedgwick,  Colorado  Territory, 
1867.     (Savage  &  Ottinger  Photo) 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  FRONTIER— 1867  137 

range  of  bluffs,  and  theii-  came  to  the  plains  again.  On  the  way 
we  saw  but  one  ranche,  quite  a  castle,  built  of  huge  logs,  and 
having  a  strong  stockade,  ten  feet  high,  pierced  with  loop  holes. 
This  ranche  is  at  the  foot  of  the  Pine  Tree  Bluffs,  the  only  wooded 
lands  between  Sedgwick  and  the  .Rocky  Mountains.  Should  you 
ever  travel  over  land  that  has  for  miles  and  miles  but  one  scene, 
that  of  vast  green  plains  margined  by  gentle  uprisings  of  ground, 
bearing  nothing  but  grass  and  sprinkled  with  flowers,  you  will 
appreciate  the  great  relief  to  the  eye  when  you  see  a  high  range 
of  hills,  with  their  steep,  rocky  passes  studded  with  trees  and 
bushes. 

It  was  last  Tueisday  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  before  the 
sun  was  up,  that  Gen.  Dodge,  a  few  gentlemen  of  the  Commission, 
myself,  and  twenty  Pawnees  rode  ahead  of  our  train,  and  ascended 
a  narrow  winding  path  to  the  top  of  the  pine  tree  cliffs,  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  plain.  As  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach  we  saw  before  us  toward  the  South  a  seemingly 
endless  green  sea,  and  to  the  north  and  east  we  witnessed  the  same 
scene.  In  the  eastern  sky  there  was  a  faint  tinge  of  orange  color 
that  gradually  became  yellow,  then  radiant  with  the  rich  golden 
hues  of  the  rising  sun.  As  the  landscape  and  the  cloudless  sky 
lightened,  the  grass  around  us,  bathed  by  the  moisture  of  the  night, 
sparkled  like  a  sea  of  crystals,  and  quivered  in  the  breath  of  a 
gentle  wind. 

I  beheld  with  reverence  and  admiration  the  snow  clad  peaks  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  looking  like  towers  of  silver  against  the 
faint  blue  of  the  western  sky.  Long's  Peak  was  the  most  prom- 
inent one  in  view.  I  saw  through  my  glasses  huge  piles  of  craggy 
rocks  patched  with  deep  snow,  and  on  the  dark  spots  clusters  of 
fir  and  pine  trees.  Descending  the  hill  our  party  experienced 
quite  a  time  in  getting  our  horses  along  the  narrow  and  almost 
precipitous  gullies,  but  we  joined  our  train  safely,  feeling  well 
compensated  by  the  glorious  sight  we  had  witnessed. 

On  Wednesday  after  traveling  thirty-five  miles  we  met  the 
pickets  of  Gen.  Auger's  command  and  shortly  afterwards  went  into 
camp  on  the  borders  of  Crow  Creek.  The  place  where  we  are 
now  encamped  has  received  the  name  of  Cheyenne  and  will  be 
the  terminus  of  the  Railroad  this  winter. 

I  often  think  that  with  all  the  perils,  hardships,  and  fatigue  of  a 
soldier's  life,  there  is  something  fascinating  in  it  after  all.  The 
martial  music,  the  noise  and  bustle  of  coming  into  camp  and  going 
out,  the  anticipated  evening  halt,  with  its  delightful  rest;  the  pipe 
of  tobacco  as  you  lie  in  the  warmth  of  the  camp-fire  digesting  your 
hearty  meal,  smoking  and  either  engaged  with  your  own  thoughts 
or  listening  to  some  legend  that  is  always  told  among  a  party  of 
officers.  But  this  is  the  bright  side  of  the  picture  and  intended  only 
for  fair  weather.     The  hot  days  and  cold  nights,  the  hardy  life  I 


138  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

lead,  subsisting  on  the  game  found  on  the  plains,  has  given  me 
good  health  that  I  hope  I  can  keep. 

Here  on  the  rushing,  clear  waters  of  Crow  Creek,  flowing 
through  a  prairie  adorned  with  beautiful  flowers  and  rich,  tall 
grass,  with  the  towering  heights  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the 
long  range  of  Black  Hills  before  us  in  the  west  and  north,  our 
national  anniversary  was  not  forgotten. 

Fort  Sanders,  D.  T.,  July  18,  1867 

About  a  week  ago  I  left  Crow  Creek,  D.  T.,  and  marched  to 
LaPorte,  a  small  village  on  the  banks  of  the  Cache  le  Poudre,  and 
waited  for  the  coming  of  one  of  the  commissioners.  Then  we 
crossed  the  Black  Hills,  seeing  elks,  antelopes  and  mountain  sheep, 
but  no  Indians.  Leaving  the  bluffs  that  surround  the  plains  near 
LaPorte,  we  marched  through  the  passes  of  the  hills.  Such  grand 
and  picturesque  scenery  I  never  before  beheld.  From  the  top  of 
one  hill,  we  saw  before  us  an  immense  valley,  here  and  there  dotted 
with  conical  hills  covered  with  red  sandstone  rocks  that  were 
formed  in  such  a  way  as  to  look  like  deserted  and  demolished 
cities,  with  their  castles  in  ruins.  Some  of  the  defiles  in  the  hills 
were  so  narrow  that  we  had  to  ride  by  "twos."  Solid  masses  of 
rocks,  with  their  crevices  covered  with  rich  silver  grey  moss, 
towered  up  on  one  side  of  the  defile,  and  on  the  other  side  deep 
valleys  with  leaping  noisy  streams.  Our  wagons  with  a  guard 
had  to  be  sent  a  round  about  way  and  one  night  we  had  to  go 
into  bivouac  without  them. 

We  came  to  this  flat  and  dusty  place  yesterday  and  leave  at 
12  A.  M.  today  to  return  to  Crow  Creek,  then  we  start  for  Utah. 

High  Living  in  the  Great  Outdoors 

Elk  Mountain,  D.  T.,  August  1,  1867 

We  left  Fort  Sanders  last  Monday  accompanied  by  a  company  of 
the  36th  Infantry.  Our  march  for  the  past  few  days  has  been 
through  a  hilly  country  surrounded  by  high  barren  mountains 
whose  gorges  are  filled  with  snow.  We  came  into  camp  a  few  hours 
ago  and  have  our  tents  pitched  on  the  banks  of  one  of  those  pictur- 
esque streams  that  are  seen  in  the  canyons  and  valleys  of  this  vast 
wilderness.  Near  by  such  spots  the  stage  stations  are  built,  and 
the  Indians  have  their  villages.  No  band  of  rovers  ever  lived  better 
than  we  do,  and  I  doubt  if  any  rich  person  in  his  town  house  or 
country  retreat  commands  such  luxuries  as  daily  attend  us.  Our 
existence  is  a  continual  round  of  pleasure  and  comfort.  Our 
occupation  is  to  ride,  hunt,  fish,  bathe,  smoke  our  pipes,  eat,  and 
drink.    Long  before  the  sun  comes  up  the  thrilling  notes  of  a  bugle 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  FRONTIER— 1867  139 

pierce  the  clear,  sweet  air  of  the  morning  and  resound  among  the 
mountains.  We  enjoy  our  baths  and  dress  on  the  soft  greensward 
outside  our  tents.  We  breakfast  not  only  on  "bacon  and  hard 
tack,"  for  these  articles  at  present  are  in  sad  disrepute  and  hidden 
from  sight  in  the  bottom  of  the  wagons.  We  have  on  the  table 
broiled  antelope  or  elk  steaks,  garnished  with  the  kidneys  or  livers 
of  those  animals,  nicely  cooked  potatoes  and  onions  and  the  most 
delicious  of  fish — trout,  trout  as  large  as  the  largest  you  see  at 
home  in  the  spring  time,  good  hot  coffee,  pure  white  sugar,  hot 
cakes  and  golden  syrup  make  up  the  meal.  The  "General"  sounds, 
the  tents  are  struck,  the  mules  and  horses  are  driven  from  herd, 
the  teams  harnessed  to  the  wagons,  the  horses  saddled,  and  to  the 
martial  air  of  jingling  sabres,  rattling  carbines  and  cries  of  "for- 
ward," we  are  on  the  march  again,  facing  our  seemingly  endless 
journey  westward,  our  way  lighted  by  the  soft  yellow  beams  of  the 
rising  sun. 

I  believe  that  you  have  always  had  a  refined  taste  for  food. 
Every  time  I  partake  of  a  sage  hen  I  think  of  you  and  mother  and 
sincerely  wish  that  both  of  you  could  taste  that  fowl.  The  bird  is 
almost  as  large  as  a  domestic  goose.  Its  flesh  is  white,  tender,  and 
deliciously  flavored  with  sage.  It  lives  on  sage  brush,  a  pigmy 
tree  scarcely  two  feet  in  height,  having  small  dentated  leaves  of  a 
pea  green  color,  and  faint  rusty  colored  buds.  Its  odor  is  that  of  a 
garden  sage,  but  much  stronger.  This  fowl,  roasted  or  boiled,  is  a 
dish  that  would  be  relished  and  appreciated  by  an  epicure.  Since 
I  have  left  Crow  Creek,  I  have  feasted  on  the  meat  of  elk,  antelope, 
black-tailed  deer,  rabbit,  grouse,  pheasant,  sage  hen  and  trout. 
Delmonico  of  New  York,  and  the  Parker  House  of  Boston,  may 
out-do  us  in  plate  and  ornaments  of  the  table,  but  we  can  excel 
in  the  richness  and  variety  of  food. 

We  occasionally  see  hostile  bands  of  Indians,  but  they  are  only 
visible  for  a  moment,  and  decline  exchanging  shots  with  us.  A  few 
evenings  before  I  left  Cheyenne,  one  of  the  Pawnee  companies  had 
had  a  fight  with  a  party  of  Arapahoes,  and  succeeded  in  taking 
eight  scalps.  I  witnessed  their  scalp  dance.  A  strange  and  fright- 
ful ceremony  to  one  who  never  saw  such  a  scene.  It  is  the  custom 
among  the  Indians,  when  they  have  been  on  the  war  path  and 
returned  to  their  villages  with  the  scalps  of  their  enemies,  to 
celebrate  the  events  of  their  prowess  by  a  scalp  dance.  A  large 
fire  is  kindled  on  the  ground  and  the  warriors  form  a  circle  about 
it.  In  the  centre  the  squaws  stand,  holding  tomahawks  and 
knives,  and  singing.  The  men  forming  the  circle  keep  moving 
around  and  also  singing  and  beating  time  with  their  hands  and  feet. 
Those  who  have  taken  the  scalps,  having  prepared  them  by  stretch- 
ing them  on  little  hoops  of  willow  or  cotton  wood,  and  tying  them 
to  the  tops  of  long  thin  poles,  hold  and  swing  them  aloft  as  they 
move  around.  In  the  case  I  speak  of  the  smallest  Indians  took 
the  part  of  squaws,  and  appeared  in  the  ring  attired  in  a  single  red 


140  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

blanket,  which  was  simply  tied  to  their  waists,  and  imitated  as 
well  as  they  could  the  actions  and  voices  of  women.  Their  song, 
which  was  one  continued  half  howl,  half  shriek,  and  a  low  monot- 
onous bellow,  was  an  impromptu  telling  of  the  incidents  of  their 
fight.  Some  sang  in  broken  English  "bad  old  Arapahoe,  ou,  ou, 
ou,"  "good  Pawnee,"  "O  gala-like  Sioux,  ou,  ou,  ou."  The  night 
was  far  advanced  before  this  savage  jubilee  was  finished.  The 
novelty  of  the  scene  had  a  fascination  for  me  that  I  could  not 
shake  off,  when  I  wished  to  leave  the  spot. 

I  hope  this  letter  will  reach  you.  The  mails  are  very  irregular. 
I  will  give  this  to  the  first  party  1  meet  going  East,  for  we  are  off 
the  stage  road.  .  .  . 

Search  for  Water  in  the  Bad  Lands 

Near  Church  Buttes,  Utah    August  14,  1867 

We  have  a  delightful  spot  of  ground  tonight  for  a  camp  in  a 
grove  of  Cottonwood  trees,  and  enjoy  the  repose  we  need  so  much. 
We  are  now  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  which 
we  have  been  crossing  since  yesterday  a  week  ago.  We  left  the 
stage  road  and  commenced  the  ascent  sixty  miles  south  of  South 
Pass,  and  went  into  a  hot,  barren  country  known  as  the  Bad  Lands. 

For  four  days  we  marched  over  a  great  waste  of  mountainous 
land  covered  with  sand,  vast  patches  of  alkali,  (I  think  nitrate  of 
potash)  looking  like  finely  powdered  salt,  and  parched  sage  brush. 
The  only  water  we  found  was  collected  in  shallow,  sulphurous, 
stagnant  pools  among  the  rocks  and  narrow  marshy  places.  On 
the  third  day  the  small  quantity  of  water  we  carried  with  us  was 
gone.  I  cannot  describe  the  exquisite  suffering  we  endured  from 
the  heat,  thirst,  and  the  laborious  marching  we  experienced  on  the 
8th  and  9th  inst.  We  toiled  up  one  mountain  only  to  cross  the 
top  of  another,  and  another.  The  line  of  the  railroad  was  of  little 
consideration  then.  We  were  all  looking  earnestly  for  what  we 
could  not  find — water,  water — no  matter  how  hot;  water  of  any 
kind  to  moisten  our  parched  throats  and  lips.  Our  eyes  were  sore 
with  straining  at  the  men  who  had  been  sent  miles  away  on  the 
flanks  of  the  train  in  search  of  some  spring  or  creek.  The  streams 
that  were  flowing  a  year  or  two  before  were  dry,  and  their  graveled 
beds  lay  before  us  like  so  many  crooked  and  shallow  graves  of 
deceased  rivers. 

The  guides  wondered  and  appeared  confounded,  and  were 
cursed  by  the  men  for  their  ignorance.  The  only  motion  in  the 
air  was  the  quivering  heat.  The  sky  was  cloudless  and  the  sun 
was  scorching.  The  clear  atmosphere  made  the  distant  cavalry- 
men on  the  huge  hills  look  like  colossal  figures.  When  they 
discovered  water  they  were  to  signal  us  by  waving  their  bare 
sabres  over  their  heads.     Their  burnished  arms  flashed  the  re- 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  FRONTIER— 1867  141 

flections  of  the  sun's  rays  on  our  straining  eyes,  but  no  bared 
steel  waved  in  the  bright  light  of  the  day:  No  water.  How  we 
panted  as  we  watched  for  a  drawn  sabre!  The  evening  came,  and 
with  it  the  tired  and  disconsolate  flankers,  but  no  water.  The 
train  halted,  and  men  and  animals  dozed.  A  kind,  gentle  wind 
that  had  gathered  a  refreshing  coolness  from  some  distant  snow- 
covered  peak,  floated  over  us  as  night  came  on,  and  that  was  all 
we  had  to  comfort  us.  I  fancied  as  I  watched  the  gold  and  crimson 
light  in  the  sky  fade  away  on  the  vast  brown  barren  steeps  above 
and  below  me,  that  all  the  mountains  in  the  universe  were  come 
together  to  stare  and  mock  at  us  for  trying  to  associate  with  them. 

An  hour  past  midnight  we  were  on  our  way  again.  We  had 
marched  twenty-five  miles  and  had  thirty  or  more  to  go  before  we 
could  reach  the  stage  road  at  Bitter  Creek,  the  only  known  stream 
about  us.  We  toiled  on  experiencing  a  repetition  of  the  heat  and 
thirst  of  yesterday.  A  stray  antelope  ambling  across  the  desert, 
probably  on  the  same  errand  we  had  in  view,  that  of  searching  for 
water,  was  killed  at  daylight,  and  I  begged  its  blood  for  my  dog 
"Payche"  and  puppy  "Sionac,"  who  were  almost  mad  with  thirst. 
Poor,  dear  Payche,  her  trials  and  sufferings  did  not  last  long.  She 
would  not  ride  but  traveled  by  my  side  in  the  shade  of  my  horse 
until  late  in  the  afternoon,  when  she  tried  to  get  under  one  of  the 
wagons.  In  doing  so  she  tottered  under  a  heavy  wheel  which 
passed  over  her  body.  I  had  her  in  my  arms  in  a  moment,  but  she 
was  dying,  and  soon  lay  dead  before  me.  .  .  .  John  and  I  were 
not  the  only  persons  who  felt  the  loss.  Payche  had  gained  quite  a 
reputation  in  catching  squirrels  and  finding  for  the  men  where  the 
sage  hens  were  hidden.     All  the  officers  and  men  Uked  her. 

At  every  mess  in  the  command  she  was  always  welcome.  At 
every  difficult  stream  crossing  some  soldier  was  ready  and  wilUng 
to  lift  her  to  his  saddle;  when  she  placed  her  paws  on  his  stirrup, 
a  way  she  had  of  asking  for  protection  and  safe  conduct  in  time 
of  danger. 

Before  the  next  night  came  upon  us,  we  reached  an  alkali  lake 
and  although  the  water  was  not  palatable  we  enjoyed  it.  The  day 
after  we  crossed  the  summit  of  the  mountains  and  marched  to 
Green  River,  which  we  crossed  last  Monday. 

Church  Buttes  is  the  name  given  to  three  high  piles  of  peculiarly 
formed  rocks,  formed  of  sand  and  broken  pieces  of  sand  stone. 
The  changes  of  weather  have  washed  the  sand  away  in  many 
places,  leaving  the  red  stone  in  the  shape  of  high  thin  poles  that 
seem  as  if  they  would  tumble  down  at  the  least  breath  of  wind.  .  .  . 
I  can  see  them  at  a  distance  standing  in  the  middle  of  a  vast  stony 
plain. 

In  a  few  days  we  will  be  at  Fort  Bridger,  where  General  Dodge 
intends  to  stay  until  his  train  can  repair  the  damages  done  to  it 
in  crossing  the  mountains. 


142  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Farewell  to  the  Union  Pacific 

Fort  D.  A.  Russel,  Oct.  7th,  1867 

I  arrived  here  this  morning  with  B  Company,  2d  U.  S.  Cavalry, 
after  a  long,  tedious,  windy,  dusty,  cold,  perilous  journey  from  Salt 
Lake  City.  Gen.  Dodge  and  his  party  left  us  at  North  Platte 
crossing,  and  have  gone  back  to  the  States.  It  is  very  cold  and 
windy  here.  The  Fort  is  three  miles  from  the  town  of  Cheyenne 
which  is  building  up  rapidly.  When  I  left  here  last  July  all  the 
land  was  bare,  and  the  only  habitations  were  tents.  Cheyenne  has 
now  a  population  of  fifteen  hundred,  two  papers,  stores,  ware- 
houses, hotels,  restaurants,  gambling  halls,  etc.,  etc.  Three  months 
ago  it  was  nothing  but  bare  prarie  land.  I  have  to  wait  here  for 
orders. 

October  20,  1867 

I  have  just  received  an  order  directing  me  to  go  to  Fort  Fetter- 
man,  D.  T.,  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  here,  situated  on 
LaPrebe  Creek^  seventy-five  miles  northwest  of  Fort  Laramie. 
The  train  I  go  with  is  waiting  and  I  will  soon  be  in  the  saddle  again 
traveling  on  a  cold  and  perilous  journey.  The  escort  consists  of 
recruits  en  route  for  Fort  C.  F.  Smith.  The  command  at  Fort 
Fetterman  consists  of  six  companies  of  the  4th  Infantry,  two  of  the 
2d  Cavalry,  and  two  of  the  18th  Infantry.  Gen.  Wassells,  Lieut. 
Col.  of  the  18th  Infantry,  will  command  the  post.  It  is  not  on 
any  road,  and  in  wintertime  difficult  of  access.  The  only  commun- 
ication it  has  with  the  outer  world  is  through  carriers  that  are 
courageous  enough  to  travel  between  it  and  Fort  Laramie. 

The  impression  here  is  that  the  commissioners  will  not  succeed 
in  making  peace  with  the  Indians,  or  that  the  savages  will  not  keep 
peaceable.  Therefore,  we  all  anticipate  a  lively  campaign  next 
Spring. 

Epilogue  '~ 

Dr.  Parry's  low  opinion  of  Indian  character  underwent  revision 
upwards  in  September,  1868.  He  was  present  at  a  meeting  be- 
tween Wash-i-kee  (Washakie),  Chief  of  the  Shoshonee  (Shoshone) 
tribe,  and  the  U.  S.  Army  authorities  in  what  is  now  Wyoming. 
Afterwards  he  wrote: 

"Brigadier  General  Auger,  escorted  by  Troop  F  of  the  2nd 
U.  S.  Cavalry,  was  sent  out  to  Fort  Bridger  to  hold  a  council  with 
the  Shoshonee  Tribe.  Wash-i-kee's  speech  about  the  faithless 
conduct  of  the  whites  was  worthy  of  any  great  orator!" 

In  Omaha  and  later  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Dr.  Parry  acquired  photo- 
graphs to  illustrate  his  western  letters.  Among  several  pictures  of 
Indians  is  one  of  the  great  Wash-a-kee.     There  is  also  a  group 


hS  Was-sc-Xf». 


Oii^osh 


m.B 


M 


Courtesy  Edward  O.  Parry 


The  caption  written  on  the  back  of  the  picture  of  Chief  Washakie  by 
Dr.  Parry  reads:  Wash-i-kee — Chief  of  the  Shoshonees.  Brig.  General 
Auger  escorted  by  F  Troop  2d  U  S  Cavly  was  sent  out  to  Fort  Bridger, 
Utah  Ter  to  hold  a  council  with  Wash-i-kee  tribe.  I  was  present  at  the 
Council  and  Wash-i-kee's  speech  on  the  faithless  conduct  of  the  Whites  was 
worthy  of  any  great  Orator.    Sept  1868.     (Savage  &  Ottinger  Photo.) 


144  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

picture,  taken  in  Salt  Lake  City,  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railway 
Commission. 

Dr.  Parry  carefully  preserved  his  papers  dealing  with  this 
period.  He  seems  to  have  wanted  to  speak  to  posterity.  Perhaps 
he  wished  to  testify  again  to  the  quality  of  the  America  of  his 
youth:  To  its  grandeur,  its  promise,  its  sense  of  destiny. 


Sarly  Mist  cry  of  the  Zele phone 
in  Wyoming 

By 
John  E.  Gnam 

The  first  experimental  use  of  telephones  in  Wyoming  and  the 
Mountain  States  area  occurred  on  February  24,  1878,  less  than 
two  years  after  the  telephone  was  invented  by  Alexander  Graham 
Bell  on  March  7,  1876. 

C.  F.  Annett,  then  telegraph  operator  on  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  at  Cheyenne,  received  through  Omaha  a  pair  of  tele- 
phones. These  telephones  had  been  sent  west  by  Theodore  N. 
Vail,  then  general  manager  of  the  American  Bell  Company  at 
Boston,  for  the  purpose  of  stimulating  interest. 

Mr.  Annett  connected  these  to  the  telegraph  wires  at  Cheyenne 
and  Laramie  and  on  February  24th  conversations  were  held  be- 
tween the  late  Senator  F.  E.  Warren,  E.  A.  Slack,  editor  of  the 
Cheyenne  Daily  Sun,  and  Bill  Nye,  editor  of  the  Laramie  Boom- 
erang and  other  prominent  Laramie  people.  This  was  the  first 
long  distance  conversation  in  the  mountain  states  area. 

Annett  established  Wyoming's  first  telephone  exchange  in  Chey- 
enne on  March  22,  1881.  He  was  the  first  manager  of  the  Chey- 
enne exchange  and  was  chiefly  responsible  for  the  organization 
of  the  Wyoming  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company  in  that  same 
year. 

Regular  toll  service  was  made  possible  in  1881  to  Laramie  over 
the  Lodge  Pole  Creek,  Cheyenne  Pass,  Telephone  Canyon  route, 
a  distance  of  48  miles. 

In  1880  the  first  inter-state  long  distance  conversation  in  the 
mountain  states  area  was  held  between  Ogden,  Utah,  and  Evan- 
ston,  Wyoming.  Thus  Wyoming  had  the  distinction  of  having 
completed  the  first  long  distance  call  in  the  mountain  states  area 
and  the  first  inter-state  long  distance  call  in  the  area. 

In  the  spring  of  1883,  Mr.  Annett,  then  manager  of  the  Wyo- 
ming Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company  and  also  local  manager 
of  the  Cheyenne  telephone  exchange,  awarded  a  contract  for  the 
building  of  a  telephone  line  to  the  ranch  of  the  Swan  Land  and 
Cattle  Company  at  Chugwater,  a  distance  of  50  miles.  The  con- 
tract was  awarded  to  a  local  contractor. 

Shortly  after  the  line  was  completed  and  tested,  the  contractor 
collected  for  the  work.  It  was  not  long  before  a  case  of  trouble 
developed.    Then,  when  Mr.  Annett  and  his  helper  rode  the  line 


146  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

to  clear  the  trouble  they  discovered  that  they  had  been  outsmarted 
and  instead  of  erecting  poles  and  building  a  telephone  line  as  we 
think  of  such  today,  a  barbed  wire  fence  had  been  used  for  the 
line  the  greater  portion  of  the  way. 

So  far  as  is  known  that  was  the  first  demonstration  and  test  of 
the  use  of  iron  barbed  wire  for  telephone  purposes  and  was  the 
beginning  of  such  a  practice  throughout  the  early-day  west. 

The  line  gave  satisfaction  and  pointed  the  way  for  much  of 
Wyoming's  very  early  telephone  development.  Needless  to  say, 
however,  that  in  modern  telephone  service  this  type  of  construc- 
tion would  be  far  from  satisfactory. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1883  the  properties  of  the  Wyoming  Tele- 
phone and  Telegraph  Company,  Salt  Lake  City  Telephone  Com- 
pany, Idaho,  Utah,  and  Montana  Telephone  companies  were  con- 
solidated to  form  the  Rocky  Mountain  Bell  Telephone  Company. 

In  September  1899,  the  Cheyenne-Denver  long  distance  line 
was  completed  and  in  1900  a  line  was  completed  between  Chey- 
enne and  Salt  Lake  City,  connecting  Denver  with  Salt  Lake  City 
via  Cheyenne. 

During  1900,  exchanges  were  opened  in  Rock  Springs  in  June; 
Evanston  in  August;  Rawlins  in  October;  and  Saratoga  in  No- 
vember. 

The  toll  line  between  Ogden  and  Evanston  was  extended  east 
as  far  as  Encampment,  686  miles,  and  the  exchanges  thereon  were 
Evanston,  Rock  Springs,  Rawlins  and  Saratoga.  Shortly  after- 
ward, the  line  was  extended  to  Cheyenne,  which  completed  the 
conversation  thoroughfare  from  Salt  Lake  City  to  Denver. 

Kemmerer  and  Encampment  were  added  in  1901.  Toll  line 
extensions  were  completed  during  the  year  between  Evanston  and 
Kemmerer;  Rawlins  to  Encampment;  Baggs  to  Dixon;  and  Chey- 
enne to  Douglas. 

During  1902  exchanges  were  opened  at  Douglas,  Casper,  Lan- 
der, Shoshoni  and  Afton  while  toll  lines  were  extended  from 
Wheatland  northwest  through  Douglas,  Casper,  and  Shoshoni  to 
Lander. 

Exchanges  were  established  at  Basin,  Cody,  Meeteetse,  Ther- 
mopolis  and  Wheatland  in  1903  and  the  toll  line  was  extended 
north  and  west  from  Shoshoni  to  Meeteetse. 

The  exchange  at  Basin  was  purchased  from  an  independent 
company,  known  as  the  Moffett  Company,  with  headquarters  at 
Billings,  Montana.  An  employee  at  Casper  was  transferred  to 
Basin  as  manager.  In  order  to  reach  Basin,  the  new  manager  had 
to  go  from  Casper  to  Crawford,  Nebraska,  thence  to  Edgemont, 
South  Dakota,  Sheridan,  Wyoming,  Toluca,  Montana,  and  Gar- 
land, Wyoming,  by  train  and  from  Garland  to  Basin  by  state 
coach.  He  traveled  about  600  miles  and  passed  through  parts  of 
three  states  to  reach  a  point  200  miles  distant  and  located  in  the 
same  state. 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  TELEPHONE  IN  WYOMING       147 

Exchanges  in  Buffalo  and  Sheridan  were'  opened  in  1904. 
These  exchanges  were  connected  with  Billings,  Montana,  and  had 
no  direct  connection  with  other  Wyoming  plants.  Later  a  toll  line 
from  Buffalo  to  Ten  Sleep  connected  with  the  line  out  of  Cheyenne 
at  Worland. 

There  was  no  development  in  Wyoming  in  1905. 

In  February,  1906,  new  No.  8  and  No.  9  switchboards  were 
ordered  for  Cheyenne,  Laramie,  Rawlins  and  Sheridan. 

Twenty-four  years  after  the  formation  of  the  Rocky  Mountain 
Bell  Company  an  editorial  appeared  in  the  August  27,  1907,  issue 
of  the  Cheyenne  Leader  summarizing  the  advancement  of  the 
telephone  in  Wyoming.  According  to  the  article,  "the  telephone 
system  reaches  every  county  of  the  state  except  two.  From  Chey- 
enne homes  you  can  now  talk  to  nearly  every  corner  of  the 
Commonwealth. 

"No  spot  in  Wyoming  is  as  far  as  100  miles  from  a  Rocky 
Mountain  Bell  telephone.  In  only  two  counties  can  a  person  get 
more  than  50  miles  from  a  Bell  telephone  and  these  are  only  in  the 
counties  of  the  state  not  penetrated  by  the  Bell  lines.  Twenty 
exchanges  and  almost  2,000  miles  of  pole  lines  cover  the  greater 
part  of  the  state  and  allow  people  of  Wyoming  to  reach  thousands 
of  persons  and  all  the  more  important  towns  in  Idaho,  Utah, 
Montana,  Colorado  and  New  Mexico  as  well  as  in  Wyoming  itself. 
The  company's  real  estate  investments  in  Wyoming  are  heavy.  It 
has  extended  its  facilities  as  rapidly  as  its  resources  allowed  and 
expects  to  continue  its  work  of  aiding  in  the  development  of  the 
state.  It  has  gone  where  no  other  public  enterprise  has  dared  to 
venture  and  has  looked  for  its  reward  in  the  future  greatness  of 
Wyoming.     It  has  taken  all  the  hazards  of  the  true  pioneer." 

No  exchanges  were  added  during  1907,  1908,  1909,  and  1910. 

In  March,  1911  the  Plains  Hotel  was  opened  at  Cheyenne  by 
Harry  Hynds  and  Captain  V.  K.  Hart.  This  building  had  been 
wired  for  telephones  during  construction,  probably  the  first  in  the 
territory. 

In  June,  1911  the  Midwest  Oil  Company  contracted  for  a  pipe 
line  from  Casper  to  Salt  Creek  (now  Midwest).  The  oil  company 
proposed  building  a  telephone  line  from  Casper  to  Salt  Creek, 
connecting  with  the  Casper  exchange. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  on  July  20,  1911,  The 
Mountain  States  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company  offered  to 
buy  all  of  the  properties,  real  or  personal,  rights  of  way,  and 
franchises  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Bell  Telephone  Company. 

This  offer  was  accepted  by  the  Board  of  Directors,  who  called  a 
meeting  of  stockholders  on  August  17,  1911,  and  at  this  meeting 
ratified  the  sale  of  the  properties  of  the  company. 

Worland  was  the  next  exchange  to  be  established  in  Wyoming; 
this  occured  in  March,  1913  with  111  stations. 

In  August,  1913,  the  company  acquired  the  properties  of  the 


148  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Kemmerer-Big  Piney  Telephone  Company  at  public  sale  for 
$18,071.21.  There  were  exchanges  at  Big  Piney,  Elkhorn,  Kem- 
merer,  Pinedale  and  South  Pass — 91  stations  were  taken  over. 

In  November,  1913,  the  plant  of  the  Southern  Wyoming  Tele- 
phone Company  was  bought  for  $3,160.  The  property  consisted 
of  a  toll  line  from  Laramie  to  Medicine  Bow,  with  a  small  amount 
of  exchange  plant  in  Laramie.     There  were  seven  toll  stations. 

The  exchange  at  Big  Piney  was  sold  to  the  Big  Piney  Telephone 
Company  for  $149  in  January  1914.  There  were  eight  subscribers 
and  seven  service  stations. 

In  January,  1915,  the  exchange  at  Pinedale,  with  42  stations, 
was  sold  to  William  Floyd  Parrish  for  $3,000. 

In  July,  1917,  the  exchange  at  Elkhorn  was  discontinued  and  an 
exchange  at  Garland  was  built  by  the  Company. 

The  property  of  the  Riverton  Telephone  Company,  with  an 
exchange  of  256  company  stations  and  27  service  stations,  was 
purchased  in  April,  1918,  for  $30,297. 

By  Joint  Resolution  of  Congress  and  Proclamation  of  the  Presi- 
dent, the  Postmaster  General  assumed  supervision,  possession, 
control  and  operation  of  the  property  of  the  Mountain  States 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company  as  of  August  1,  1918. 

In  October,  1918,  the  Company  purchased  the  exchange  at 
Pinedale  from  the  Pinedale  Telephone  Company  for  $2,198. 
There  were  46  company  and  32  service  stations.  This  exchange 
had  been  sold  to  William  Parrish  in  January,  1915,  payment  there- 
for being  his  note.  The  exchange  was  reacquired,  and  the  pur- 
chase price  represents  the  unpaid  portion  of  that  note  with 
accrued  interest. 

An  exchange  was  built  by  the  Company  at  Rock  River  in  1919 
and  opened  with  33  company  and  2  service  stations. 

At  midnight  on  July  31,  1919,  all  of  the  telephones  and  tele- 
phone systems,  lines  and  properties,  were  returned  by  the  Gov- 
ernment to  their  respective  owners. 

During  the  period  of  Federal  control,  there  had  been  no  pur- 
chases of  operating  telephone  properties.  With  the  return  to 
private  ownership,  the  policy  of  consolidating  the  territory  was 
resumed. 

In  August,  1919,  the  properties  of  the  Lusk-Manville  Telephone 
Company  were  purchased  for  $45,477.  The  exchanges  were  Lusk 
with  215  company  and  152  service  stations  and  Manville  with  66 
company  and  22  service  stations. 

The  exchange  at  Pinedale,  with  38  company  and  31  service 
stations  was  leased  to  W.  F.  Parrish  in  January,  1920. 

In  November,  1921,  the  properties  of  the  Northern  Wyoming 
Telephone  Company  were  purchased  for  $74,622.  There  were 
exchanges  at  Gillette,  Moorcroft,  Newcastle,  Osage  and  Upton 
with  a  total  of  419  company  stations  and  265  service  stations. 

On  December  17,  1921,  the  exchange  at  Laramie  was  cut  over 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  TELEPHONE  IN  WYOMING       149 

to  "machine  switching"  operation,  the  first  test  of  this  form  of 
service  in  the  Mountain  States  territory. 

In  September,  the  Deaver  exchange  with  five  company  stations 
was  discontinued,  subscribers  to  be  connected  with  Cowley. 

State  accounting  for  Wyoming  was  installed  in  December  1922, 
with  state  headquarters  at  Cheyenne. 

In  May,  1923,  the  Company  purchased  the  properties  of  the 
Peoples  Telephone  Company  for  $7,500.  There  were  108  com- 
pany stations  and  38  service  stations  located  at  the  exchanges  of 
Pine  Bluffs  and  Albin. 

In  July,  1923,  the  Company  purchased  the  property  of  the  Salt 
Creek  Telephone  Company  for  $8,000.  The  property  consisted 
of  the  exchange  at  Salt  Creek,  Wyoming,  with  60  company  and  8 1 
service  stations.  The  name  of  the  exchange  was  changed  from 
Salt  Creek  to  Midwest  on  January  1,  1924. 

A  decision  was  handed  down  on  October  18,  1923,  by  the 
Public  Utilities  Commission  of  Wyoming  on  the  application  of 
the  Company  for  increased  rates  at  Casper,  the  new  rates  to  be 
effective  November  1,  1923. 

The  American  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company  awarded 
Theodore  N.  Vail  gold  medals  and  cash  awards  of  $500  each,  to 
Harold  C.  Daggett,  Combinationman,  Cheyenne,  and  Earl  J. 
Taylor,  Section  Patrolman,  Cheyenne  for  heroic  action  in  restoring 
telephone  service  on  the  trans-continental  lines  in  November  1922. 
These  awards  were  in  addition  to  the  bronze  medals  by  the  Moun- 
tain States  Company. 

Vail  bronze  medals  were  awarded  in  March  1924,  by  the  Com- 
pany to  James  Dougherty,  Lineman,  Casper  and  Olin  Mahnken, 
Linemen,  Casper,  with  citations  for  meritorious  acts  performed  in 
1923. 

In  November.  1924,  the  exchange  at  South  Pass,  with  six  com- 
pany and  two  service  stations,  was  sold  to  William  F.  Parrish  for 
$1.00. 

Bronze  medals,  with  citations,  were  awarded  for  meritorious 
action  during  1924  to  WiUiam  B.  Carey,  Section  Patrolman,  Rock 
Springs;  Paul  E.  Loshbrough,  Wire  Chief,  Rock  Springs;  W.  A. 
Stems,  Foreman,  Cheyenne;  and  Don  C.  Austin,  Lineman,  Chey- 
enne. 

The  Public  Service  Commission  of  Wyoming  granted  a  rate 
increase  at  Rock  Springs  in  February  1926,  increasing  contract 
values  about  $5,700  per  year.  Rates  were  also  increased  in  Ther- 
mopolis  on  June  1,  Shoshoni  and  Gillette  on  August  1,  and  Kem- 
merer  on  September  1 . 

In  August,  1926,  the  exchange  at  Osage  with  eleven  company 
and  four  service  stations,  was  discontinued,  subscribers  to  be 
served  by  Newcastle  central  office. 

Effective  August  1,  1927,  service  was  initiated  in  Yellowstone 
National  Park.     Telephones  were  installed  at  various   stations, 


150  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

giving  complete  coverage  of  the  Park  and  furnishing  the  first 
connection  with  the  outside  world. 

Rate  increases  were  authorized  at  Sheridan,  January  1;  Green 
River,  April  1 ;  Cody,  June  1 ;  Greybull,  September  1 ;  and  Buffalo, 
October  1,  1927. 

Effective  April  30,  1928,  the  exchange  at  Garland  was  discon- 
tinued, the  majority  of  the  subscribers  to  be  served  by  the  Project 
Mutual  Telephone  Company,  connected  with  Cody.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  subscribers  were  to  be  served  as  toll  stations  out 
of  Bridger,  Montana. 

Rate  increases  during  the  year  were  effective  at  Encampment, 
Pine  Bluffs  and  Saratoga,  February  1 ;  Douglas,  March  1 ;  Worland, 
April  1;  and  Lander,  September  1,  1928. 

As  of  January  1,  1930,  the  properties  of  the  Wyoming  Tele- 
phone Company  were  purchased  for  $26,000.  The  exchanges 
involved  were  Glenrock  with  157  company  stations  and  Glendo 
with  21  company  and  10  service  stations. 

The  exchange  at  Salt  Creek,  with  12  stations,  was  discontinued 
on  March  29,  1930,  subscribers  to  be  served  on  a  rural  basis  out 
of  Midwest. 

During  August,  1931,  a  toll  line  from  Dubois,  Idaho,  to  Moran, 
brought  the  famous  Jackson  Hole  Country  into  the  telephone  net- 
work of  the  world.  Connection  was  made  with  the  Jackson  Valley 
Telephone  Company,  a  locally  owned  concern,  which  was  pur- 
chased by  Mountain  States  a  few  months  later. 

Cheyenne  was  converted  from  manual  to  dial  on  August  29, 
1931.  There  were  4,796  company  and  457  service  stations  in 
operation  at  the  time  of  the  cutover. 

All  handset  charges  in  Wyoming  were  eliminated  in  February, 
1938. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  record  all  the  changes  from 
magneto  to  common  battery  and  from  common  battery  to  dial 
during  this  period. 

Another  first  for  the  State  of  Wyoming,  telephone  wise,  was  that 
Theodore  N.  Vail,  the  first  general  manager  of  the  Bell  Telephone 
System,  started  his  meteoric  career  as  night  telegraph  operator  at 
Pine  Bluffs,  Wyoming,  in  April  of  1868. 

Mr.  Vail  worked  on  the  farm  with  his  father  and  brothers  for  a 
while  but  decided  he  wanted  to  be  a  schoolteacher.  He  soon  tired 
of  teaching  and  applied  for  a  job  as  telegraph  operator  on  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad  and  was  immediately  assigned  to  the  job 
as  night  operator  at  Pine  Bluffs,  Wyoming.  He  became  dissatisfied 
with  this  job  and  applied  for  an  appointment  to  the  railway  mail 
service.  He  rose  rapidly  from  mail  clerk  in  1868  to  the  top  of 
the  railway  mail  service  in  less  than  eight  years,  a  goal  reached 
at  the  youthful  age  of  3 1 . 

Two  years  later,  on  May  22,  1878,  Vail  became  general  man- 
ager of  the  Bell  Telephone  Company.     In  the  summer  of  1887 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  TELEPHONE  IN  WYOMING       151 

Vail  realized,  because  of  failing  health,  that  the  strain  was  too 
heavy  and  that  he  must  relinquish  part  of  the  load,  and  so  on  Sep- 
tember 19,  1887,  he  resigned  his  position  as  president  of  the 
American  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company. 

Mr.  Vail  traveled  in  Europe  and  South  America  from  1890  to 
1907.  In  May  1907  Vail  was  elected  president  of  the  American 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company  again.  He  retired  in  1919 
to  become  chairman  of  the  board  and  died  April  16,  1920,  at 
the  age  of  75. 


Zke  Meek  Keel  Wagon  J^uming 

By 

J.  W.  Vaughn  and  L.  C.  Bishop 

After  the  defeat  of  General  Custer  at  the  Little  Big  Horn  on 
June  25,  1876,  the  Sioux  and  Cheyenne  Indians  were  free  to 
continue  their  depredations  on  the  white  settlements.  During  the 
summer  small  bands  of  them,  well  armed  with  .45-70  Springfield 
Carbines  taken  from  the  dead  troopers,  ranged  far  and  wide  along 
the  frontier.  Numerous  raids  were  made  on  isolated  ranches  along 
the  North  Platte  River,  and  many  settlers  were  killed  and  herds 
of  horses  stolen.  Travellers  and  freight  outfits  were  in  constant 
fear  of  the  marauders.  This  is  the  story  of  an  attack  by  a  band 
of  these  Indians  upon  a  wagon  train  on  the  old  Emigrant  Road, 
10  miles  west  of  the  present  site  of  Glendo,  Wyoming. 

Fort  Laramie  and  Fort  Fetterman  were  the  two  army  posts  in 
this  area  which  protected  the  emigrants  and  settlers;  but  as  they 
were  not  on  a  railroad,  supplies  had  to  be  laboriously  freighted  in 
from  Cheyenne  by  large  covered  wagons  hauled  by  many  yoke  of 
oxen.  A.  H.  Reel  of  Cheyenne,  popularly  called  "Heck,"  was  a 
widely  known  freighter  and  cattleman  who  operated  one  of  these 
freight  outfits  under  contract  with  the  Army.  He  had  been  a 
member  of  the  Territorial  Assembly  in  1875  and  in  later  years  was 
to  become  a  State  Senator  and  Mayor  of  Cheyenne.  The  head- 
quarters for  his  supply  train  was  at  Camp  Carlin,  located  two 
miles  northwest  of  Cheyenne  beside  Crow  Creek.  This  was  the 
supply  depot  for  the  Army  posts  and  consisted  of  warehouses, 
blacksmith  shops,  wheelright  shops,  carpenter  shops,  saddle  and 
harness  shops,  wagon  sheds,  stables,  corrals,  and  bunk  houses. 
As  a  result  of  his  long  experience  in  the  freighting  business,  Heck 
Reel  had  organized  his  freight  wagons  into  units  of  three  wagons 
each,  drawn  by  12  to  14  yoke  of  oxen.  The  front  wagon  carried 
upwards  of  15,000  pounds  of  freight,  the  second  one  carried  9,000 
pounds,  and  the  rear  one  cooking  utensils,  tents  and  food  for  the 
trip.  The  tongues  of  the  second  and  third  wagons  were  cut  off 
short  and  chained  to  the  axle  of  the  wagon  in  front. 

The  Wagon  Boss  in  charge  of  the  train  was  George  Throstle, 
who  had  been  in  Reel's  employ  for  nine  years.  He  was  about  35 
years  old,  faithful,  industrious  and  temperate.  He  had  many 
friends  and  was  brave  almost  to  rashness.  Sylvester  "Ves"  Sher- 
man, the  second  boss,  had  been  working  for  Heck  Reel  for  several 
years.  He  was  described  as  a  "fine  Western  character,  a  good 
shot,  and  he  usually  had  his  firearms  where  they  could  be  reached 


THE  HECK  REEL  WAGON  BURNING  153 

in  a  second."  Sherman,  in  his  later  years,  ranched  on  Rawhide 
Creek,  where  he  died  in  1925.  His  account  to  J.  C.  Shaw  of  Orin 
Junction,  Wyoming,  is  the  main  source  of  information  concerning 
this  incident. 

In  1876  Fort  Fetterman  was  the  springboard  for  expeditions 
under  General  Crook  against  the  Sioux.  During  the  summer  the 
Army  was  sending  supplies  to  the  Fort  destined  for  the  use  of 
Crook's  army,  then  encamped  on  Little  Goose  Creek  in  northern 
Wyoming.  In  July  Heck  Reel  was  one  of  the  freighters  with  a 
contract  to  haul  flour,  bacon  and  other  supplies  to  the  Fort.  The 
wagons  were  overhauled  and  given  a  coat  of  bright  red  paint. 
Reel  then  commenced  to  load  up  with  Government  freight  and  to 
hire  men  for  the  expedition.  Since  good  bull-whackers  were  hard 
to  find,  a  few  Mexicans  and  "long-haired  Missourians"  were  in- 
cluded in  the  crew  of  sixteen.  Mr.  Reel  told  Throstle  to  furnish 
every  man  with  a  good  .45  sixshooter  and  a  .44  Winchester.  Most 
of  the  guns  furnished  were  the  new  1873  Model  .44  Winchesters, 
although  there  were  a  few  .50  Spencers.  The  guns  were  to  be 
carried  in  the  jocky  box  on  the  front  end  of  a  wagon.  As  there 
were  plenty  of  Indian  signs  along  the  North  Platte,  the  men  were 
to  keep  on  the  lookout  for  Indians  and  at  all  times  to  be  careful. 

While  only  three  units  of  three  wagons  each  are  specifically 
mentioned  in  the  accounts,  it  is  probable  that  there  were  more 
wagons  in  the  train  because  of  the  large  crew  of  16  men.  The 
front  units  were  loaded  with  flour,  groceries,  whiskey,  and  dry- 
goods,  while  the  rear  unit  carried  10,000  pounds  of  bacon  packed 
in  the  first  two  wagons,  and  forty  barrels  of  beer  in  the  last  one. 

One  morning  in  the  latter  part  of  July,  the  caravan  broke  camp 
and  travelled  the  old  road  from  Cheyenne  to  the  Black  Hills. 
One  mile  from  camp  they  passed  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  and  then 
headed  northward  across  the  treeless  hills.  Several  days  later  they 
came  to  the  ranch  of  Portugee  Phillips  on  the  Chugwater  and, 
after  following  down  that  stream,  reached  Bordeaux,  a  ranch 
operated  by  John  Hunton,  66  miles  north  of  Cheyenne.  Mr.  Hun- 
ton  had  served  all  through  the  Civil  War  in  the  Confederate  Army. 
He  had  been  a  Colonel  in  the  Virginia  Cavalry  and  was  wounded 
at  Gettysburg.  After  the  war  he  headed  west  and  acquired  the 
ranch  from  James  Bordeaux,  who  had  operated  a  trading  post 
there. 

The  road  divided  at  Bordeaux,  one  branch  continuing  northeast 
27  miles  to  Fort  Laramie,  while  the  other  swung  to  the  northwest, 
forming  the  "cutoff"  to  Fort  Fetterman.  Taking  the  latter  route, 
the  supply  train  arrived  at  Cottonwood  Creek  a  short  distance 
west  of  the  present  crossing  of  Highway  87.  Just  north  of  the 
Creek  they  struck  the  south  branch  of  the  Emigrant  Road  (Mor- 
man  Branch)  coming  in  from  the  east.     Instead  of  following  this 


]54 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


_   MAP  — 
3 HOV^ / NG  LoCATfON   OF-    0L/f?NJN(5 

—  or  — 
HECK  REEL-    \NAGOM  TR/^JN 


main  travelled  road  towards  the  northwest,  the  supply  train  con- 
tinued northward  along  a  cutoff  running  west  of  Highway  87  for 
four  miles  and  then  angled  northeast  parallel  to  the  present  site 
of  the  highway  for  four  miles.  Turning  to  the  right,  the  caravan 
soon  struck  the  North  Branch  of  the  main  Emigrant  Road  near 
Bull's  Bend,  a  favorite  camping  place  within  a  bend  of  the  North 
Platte.  The  route  which  Throstle  followed  was  known  as  the 
"Bull's  Bend-Cottonwood  Road."  While  it  has  not  been  explored, 
it  is  plotted  on  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Contour  maps  of  the 
area.  It  is  easy  to  see  from  the  maps  why  Throstle  took  this 
cutoff.  The  road  followed  a  valley  where  there  were  no  steep 
grades  and  but  few  ravines  to  cross.  It  also  led  to  Bull's  Bend, 
where  there  was  plenty  of  water  to  refresh  the  men  and  stock. 
The  wagon  train  probably  camped  here  on  the  night  of  July  30th. 
The  next  evening  they  made  camp  on  Elkhorn  Creek,  which  was 
one  of  the  best  camping  places  along  the  Emigrant  Road,  having 
plenty  of  wood,  water  and  grass. 


THE  HECK  REEL  WAGON  BURNING  155 

Early  the  next  morning,  Tuesday,  August  I'st,  the  men  started 
the  strenuous  task  of  getting  the  wagons  up  the  long  hard  hill 
north  of  Elkhorn  Creek.  Throstle  and  Sherman  stayed  behind  to 
superintendent  the  ascent  of  each  heavily  laden  wagon.  It  was 
probable  that  they  had  to  unchain  the  trail  wagons  and  drag  each 
one  up  separately.  Finally  all  were  up  on  the  divide,  but  soon 
came  to  the  valley  of  Coffee  Creek.  Here  was  another  long  hard 
hill,  and  by  the  time  all  the  wagons  had  gotten  up  on  the  divide 
it  was  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  course  was  now  northwestward 
along  the  divide  with  the  creeks  they  had  just  crossed  on  their  left 
and  some  draws  on  their  right  and  ahead.  Towards  the  southwest 
the  wooded  slopes  of  Laramie  Peak  loomed  up  against  the  sky. 

Throstle  and  Sherman  rode  on  300  yards  ahead  of  the  lead 
team,  resuming  their  usual  position  in  advance  so  that  they  could 
look  over  the  road.  Sherman  was  on  the  right  side  and  a  little  in 
the  lead.  The  experienced  men  were  driving  the  lead  teams,  while 
one  of  the  Mexicans  was  driving  the  unit  next  to  the  rear.  A 
"long-haired  Missourian"  was  driving  the  rear  team.  Bullwhack- 
ers  walked  alongside  of  the  ox  teams  and  tried  to  make  up  for  lost 
time  by  lashing  the  plodding  animals  with  their  stinging  bullwhips. 
It  was  still  10  miles  to  where  they  would  camp  for  the  night  on 
La  Bonte  Creek.  The  day  was  hot  and  dry,  and  the  long  lines 
of  oxen  churned  up  huge  clouds  of  dust  along  the  trail. 

It  was  now  about  four  o'clock.  As  Throstle  and  Sherman 
approached  a  little  ridge  running  southward  across  the  trail  in 
front  of  them,  about  30  Indians  jumped  out  of  a  deep  draw  north 
of  the  road  and  started  shooting.  Firing  past  Sherman,  three 
bullets  struck  Throstle,  who  threw  up  both  hands  and  exclaimed, 
"Oh,  My  God,"  and  fell  dead  from  his  horse.  One  bullet  struck 
the  fork  of  Sherman's  saddle.  The  Indians  yelled  and  made  a 
dash  to  cut  Sherman  off  from  the  wagon  train.  It  was  a  close  race 
as  the  Indians,  whipping,  shooting  and  yelling,  caused  both  horses 
to  circle  towards  the  south  instead  of  running  straight.  Sherman 
had  no  time  to  shoot  during  this  wild  rush,  as  he  used  both  feet 
and  hands  to  whip  with.  As  he  got  closer  to  the  wagon  train,  the 
Indians  pulled  away  but  kept  up  a  constant  fire  at  the  men  running 
up  and  down  the  teams.  Irish  Pete  was  shot  through  the  leg,  and 
yelled  out  as  loud  as  he  could,  "Corral  the  wagons,  Ves,  or  they 
will  kill  every  one  of  us."  Sherman  then  called  to  the  lead  man  to 
corral;  and  since  all  the  good  men  were  driving  the  lead  teams  and 
knew  what  to  do,  the  wagons  were  corralled  in  a  short  time  just 
south  of  the  road.  During  this  time  the  men  were  shooting  at  the 
Indians  with  six  shooters  as  they  rode  closer. 

The  Mexican  driving  the  next  to  the  last  unit  deserted  his  post 
at  the  first  of  the  fighting  and  crawled  in  among  the  drygoods  in 
one  of  the  lead  wagons.  The  Missourian  in  the  rear,  seeing  that 
there  was  no  chance  to  get  his  team  in,  left  it  and  came  on  up  to 


156 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Heck  Reel 

Wyoming  Pioneer,  Freighter,  Rancher, 

Legislator  and  Early  Mayor  of 

Cheyenne 


George  Throstle 
Wagon  Master  who  was  killed 
in  the  attack 
Courtesy  Mrs.  Art  Gobble. 


the  Mexican's  wagon  and  whacked  it  on  in.  It  looked  for  a  while 
as  if  the  Indians  would  get  him,  but  he  shot  with  one  hand  and 
whacked  the  bulls  with  the  other. 

When  Sherman  called  for  the  rifles,  there  was  only  one  man  who 
knew  where  they  were,  and  he  jumped  on  a  wagon  and  began  to 
throw  out  flour.  The  guns  had  five  thousand  pounds  of  flour  on 
top  of  them.  The  sacks  of  flour  were  used  to  build  breastworks, 
behind  which  the  men  took  position  with  their  rifles.  The  Indians, 
from  the  gullies  and  ravines  just  below  the  edge  of  the  divide 
about  two  hundred  yards  south  of  the  wagons,  opened  up  a  brisk 
fire.  Believing  that  the  freighters  had  nothing  but  pistols,  some 
of  the  Indians  rode  up  close  to  the  wagons  yelling  the  most  hideous 
yells  any  one  had  ever  heard.  While  running  by  at  full  speed  on 
their  war  horses,  they  fired  from  under  the  horses'  necks  while 
keeping  themselves  concealed  by  lying  down  on  the  horses'  sides. 
The  Indians  were  armed  with  .45-70  Springfield  Carbines  and 
.50-70  Springfields  and  had  plenty  of  ammunition.  While  they 
did  not  kill  any  more  of  the  men,  they  did  lots  of  damage  to  the 
work  cattle  and  the  few  saddle  horses  in  the  train.  After  the 
freighters  got  in  a  few  good  rounds  with  their  rifles,  the  Indians  fell 
back  and  waited  for  night  to  come. 


THE  HECK  REEL  WAGON  BURNING  157 

The  Mexican  had  a  little  dog  that  he  seemed  to  k»ve  very  much,  but 
the  dog  was  gun  shy  and  would  run  out  of  camp  at  the  sight  of  a 
gun,  and  as  we  lay  looking  through  our  port  holes,  Irish  Pete  and  I 
side  by  side,  we  saw  something  crawling  toward  us.  Irish  Pete 
whispered,  "It  is  an  Indian,  we  will  both  shoot,  but  let  me  shoot  first 
as  I  feel  sure  I  can  hit  him."  We  both  fired  and  a  dog  howled  out, 
and  a  shrill  voice  cried,  "You  killed  my  dog,  you  killed  my  dog!" 

The  men  held  their  positions  in  the  corral  the  rest  of  the  day. 
As  night  came  on,  the  Indians  went  to  the  rear  wagon  which  had 
been  left  about  300  yards  to  the  east,  and  threw  off  the  beer  and 
rolled  it  down  the  long  hill  toward  the  creek.  They  set  fire  to 
the  10,000  pounds  of  bacon,  and  the  blaze  seemed  to  reach  two 
hundred  feet  high.  The  men  could  see  well  enough  to  have  picked 
up  a  pin  in  the  corral.  They  knew  that  if  the  Indians  could  see  the 
situation  they  were  in,  they  would  charge  the  wagons  after  dark. 
They  felt  sure  their  scalps  were  gone.  However,  the  -Indians 
seemed  to  be  afraid  and  did  not  even  fire  into  the  camp. 

The  next  morning  the  oxen  were  unyoked  and  driven  back  to 
the  creek  for  water,  while  some  of  the  men  surveyed  the  damage 
from  the  attack.  Wagon  Boss  Throstle  had  been  killed,  Irish  Pete 
had  been  shot  in  the  leg,  and  Sherman  was  injured  by  the  shot 
which  had  struck  the  fork  of  his  saddle.  Ten  oxen  and  four  horses 
had  been  killed.  The  rear  unit  of  three  wagons  had  been  destroyed 
by  the  fire.  The  wheel  oxen  of  the  rear  unit  had  been  burned  to 
death,  while  the  next  team  had  pulled  the  front  wheels  off  from 
the  wagon  in  its  Wind  panic  to  escape  the  fire.  Five  teams  were 
found  quietly  grazing  around  still  hitched  together. 

When  the  train  resumed  its  journey  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  Throstle  was  found  lying  where  he  had  fallen.  The 
Indians  had  stripped  and  scalped  him  and  cut  his  heart  out.  He 
was  laid  on  a  tarpaulin  on  top  of  some  groceries  in  the  lead  wagon. 

When  we  went  on  up  the  road  we  met  two  cowpunchers,  and  after 
talking  to  them  a  minute  we  asked  if  they  had  seen  any  Indians. 
They  laughed  and  said  no  that  they  did  not  believe  there  were  any 
in  the  country.  They  said  that  they  had  been  on  LaPrele  Creek  for 
two  years  and  had  not  as  much  as  seen  a  moccasin  track.  I  told 
them  that  we  had  had  a  fight  with  them  the  day  before.  They 
laughed  again  and  said  show  them  the  signs.  I  handed  one  of  them 
my  bridle  reins,  and  stepped  up  on  the  brake  and  pulled  the  tarp 
back  and  let  them  see  Throstle's  body.  They  turned  my  horse  loose, 
and  turned  and  rode  for  Ft.  Fetterman,  and  the  last  we  saw  of  them 
they  were  riding  like  jockeys  on  the  last  quarter  in  a  mile  race. 

Early  that  morning  a  hay  train  left  Fort  Fetterman  under  George 
Powell,  the  hay  contractor  for  the  Post,  travelling  eastward  on  the 
Fort  Laramie  Road.  The  hay  train  learned  of  the  tragedy  some 
time  during  the  day,  probably  after  meeting  the  two  cowpunchers 
on  the  trail.  Powell  and  Groves  started  back  to  Fort  Fetterman  to 
alarm  the  garrison  of  the  hostile  Indians  and  arrived  there  about 
9:30  P.  M.  John  Hunton,  who  was  at  the  Fort,  sent  a  telegram 
that  night  to  Mr.  Reel  in  Cheyenne  informing  him  of  the  attack. 


158  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Mr.  Reel  telegraphed  instructions  to  have  the  body  sent  to  Medi- 
cine Bow,  where  he  would  meet  it  with  a  coffin  and  bring  it  to 
Cheyenne  for  burial.  These  instructions  were  not  followed,  as 
Throstle  was  buried  in  the  Post  Cemetery  at  Fort  Fetterman  shortly 
after  his  body  arrived  there. 

Hunton  noted  in  his  Diary  that  "Indians  stole  48  horses  on 
Horseshoe  and  Cottonwood.  Hot  and  dry."  Meanwhile  Heck 
Reel's  wagon  train  camped  on  La  Bonte  Creek  that  night. 

Early  on  Thursday,  August  3rd,  George  Powell  set  out  with  a 
party  of  men  to  get  Throstle's  body  and  bring  in  the  wounded. 
After  they  had  left.  Corporal  Ward  came  into  Fort  Fetterman  with 
two  men  and  reported  that  he  had  come  up  with  the  ox  train  which 
had  been  attacked  while  carrying  supplies  to  the  Fort.  Ward  had 
been  sent  out  several  days  previously  with  a  party  as  escort  to 
Captain  Hanton,  who  was  bound  for  Fort  Laramie.  Ward's  party 
had  been  relieved  at  Twin  Springs.  On  its  way  back  to  Fetterman, 
on  the  east  side  of  Horseshoe  Creek,  Ward  and  Privates  Mulcey  of 
Company  I  and  Williams  of  Company  C  went  hunting  mounted 
on  their  horses,  while  Privates  Duncan  and  Troper  of  Companies 
I  and  C  of  the  4th  Infantry  continued  on  towards  the  Fort  in  the 
ambulance.  Upon  returning  from  the  hunt  Ward  could  not  find 
any  trace  of  the  ambulance  and  the  men,  and  started  on  towards 
Fort  Fetterman.  He  overtook  the  ox  train  which  had  been 
attacked,  but  passed  it  and  came  on  to  the  Fort.  As  the  men  in 
the  ambulance  had  not  arrived  there,  they  were  believed  to  have 
been  killed  by  Indians,  and  Ward  was  promptly  thrown  into  the 
guard-house  for  leaving  his  men. 

About  noon  Powell  and  his  party  returned  to  the  Post  with 
Throstle's  body  and  with  Irish  Pete.  Throstle's  body  was  buried 
later  in  the  day  without  ceremony.  Powell  then  disbanded  his  hay 
party  because  of  fear  of  Indian  attacks.  In  the  afternoon  Sergeant 
Webber  and  4  men  were  sent  out  to  find  the  ambulance  and  the 
missing  men.  Later  in  the  day  the  men  and  ambulance  all  re- 
turned safely  to  the  Post  apparently  without  meeting  Sergeant 
Webber's  party.  That  evening,  because  Indians  were  reported  in 
the  vicinity  of  Fort  Fetterman,  extra  pickets  were  put  out  and  all 
attached  men  and  citizen  employees  were  armed. 

On  Friday,  August  4th,  Sergeant  Webber  and  his  party  returned 
to  the  Post  but  were  sent  back  again  to  escort  the  supply  train 
which  was  still  on  the  road  to  the  Fort.  On  the  afternoon  of 
Saturday,  August  5th,  the  supply  train  finally  arrived  escorted  by 
Sergeant  Webber  and  his  men. 

It  had  taken  the  supply  train  two  and  a  half  days  to  go  from 
La  Bonte  Creek  to  Fort  Fetterman,  a  distance  of  24  miles.  It  is 
difficult  to  understand  why  such  slow  progress  was  made  when 
everyone  must  have  been  anxious  to  get  to  the  Fort  where  he  would 
be  safe  from  Indian  attacks.  Ten  oxen  and  four  horses  had  been 
killed,  but  there  were  three  fewer  wagons  to  pull.    The  oxen  which 


THE  HECK  REEL  WAGON  BURNING  159 

had  pulled  the  front  wheels  off  the  rear  wagon  were  badly  burned, 
and  it  is  probable  that  some  of  the  stock  had  been  crippled  by  the 
gunfire.  One  thing  is  certain:  all  were  glad  to  reach  the  safety 
of  the  Fort  after  their  harrowing  experience. 

Back  on  the  trail  remained  the  metal  parts  and  the  charred  rem- 
nants of  the  burnt  wagons.  Animal  bones  and  other  debris  lay 
scattered  for  about  a  half  mile  along  the  trail.  As  it  was  a  main 
travelled  road,  supply  trains,  emigrants'  wagons  and  soldiers 
carried  off  souvenirs  and  everything  which  was  useful.  Soon  there 
was  nothing  to  indicate  where  the  incident  had  occurred,  and  in 
later  years  the  exact  spot  had  been  forgotten.  The  bone  fragments 
and  pieces  of  barrel  hoops  remaining  above  ground  were  not 
accepted  as  conclusive  evidence  of  the  location.  Until  recently 
there  were  three  different  sites  variously  believed  by  many  to  be 
where  the  wagons  were  burned.  At  the  first  of  these,  where  the 
barrel  hoops  were  found,  Bob  Peterson  placed  a  marker  inscribed 
"Oregon  Trail.  Barrel  Hoop  Site."  Ves  Sherman  had  told  Mr. 
Ed  Foy,  the  owner  of  the  land,  that  this  was  where  the  action  had 
occurred.  The  second  site  was  a  mile  to  the  west  at  a  point 
where  the  old  telegraph  line  came  up  from  the  southeast  and 
joined  the  Fort  Laramie-Fort  Fetterman  Road.  The  survey  notes 
of  the  General  Land  Office  show  that  the  remains  of  the  A.  H. 
Reel  train  were  located  8.50  chains  north  of  the  southwest  corner 
of  Section  34,  Township  30  North,  range  70  west,  as  surveyed 
by  Jack  Cole.  Within  a  few  hundred  feet  of  this  location  a  sheep 
herder  found  a  burnt  wagon  wheel,  and  Fred  Dilts,  the  owner  of 
the  land,  found  a  burnt  wagon  hub.  L.  C.  Bishop  found  near 
here  a  few  8  D  cut  nails  and  a  staple  to  hold  a  bow  on  a  wagon 
box.  Bows  were  semi-circular  pieces  of  thin  oak  wood  bent  so 
as  to  support  the  canvas  covering  the  wagons.  This  site  was 
considered  authentic  by  some  because  it  checked  with  the  old 
road  and  telegraph  line  as  shown  by  the  Land  Office  plats  and 
field  notes.  A  marker  was  placed  here  showing  that  this  was  the 
site  of  the  wagon  burning.  The  third  site  was  on  top  of  the  steep 
hill  north  of  Elkhorn  Creek,  but  we  found  nothing  here. 

In  order  to  pinpoint  the  exact  location  of  the  burnt  wagons  and 
of  the  attack,  a  party  which  included  the  writers,  made  a  thorough 
check  of  all  three  areas  with  a  metal  detector  in  1957.  We  went 
over  the  Government  Survey  site  first  and  found  nothing  but  one 
8  D  cut  nail.  It  was  obvious  that  nothing  had  occurred  here. 
We  concluded  that  the  oxen  which  had  pulled  the  front  wheels 
off  the  rear  wagon  had  dragged  them  to  this  vicinity  probably 
with  a  fragment  of  the  wagon  bed,  and  that  the  Government 
Surveyor,  seeing  these,  assumed  that  the  wagons  had  been  burned 
here. 

At  the  barrel  hoop  site  we  found  many  pieces  of  barrel  hoops 
on  the  surface  and  some  from  two  to  five  inches  below  the  surface. 
Within  a  hundred  feet  south  and  east  of  the  marker,  on  lower 


160  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ground,  we  located  three  .50-70  Springfield  center  fire  inside 
primed  empty  cartridge  cases  of  the  type  commonly  used  by  the 
Indians  at  the  time.  These  may  have  been  cartridges  fired  at  the 
animals  or  at  the  Missourian  as  he  whacked  the  Mexican's  bulls 
to  the  corral.  Nothing  else  was  found  within  a  hundred  feet  of 
the  marker.  We  concluded  that  this  was  the  spot  where  the  40 
barrels  of  beer  had  been  pushed  out  of  the  rear  trail  wagon. 
While  many  had  been  rolled  down  the  hill,  some  had  apparently 
been  opened  here.  One  wonders  if  the  failure  of  the  Indians  to 
continue  their  attack  that  night  and  the  next  day  could  be  attributed 
to  their  fondness  for  the  contents  of  the  barrels. 

Working  northwestward  we  found  15  pieces  of  barrel  hoop  in 
and  along  the  old  trail  beneath  the  surface,  while  some  were  still 
on  top  of  the  ground.  When  50  yards  west  of  the  marker  we 
started  to  find  metal  wagon  parts.  At  110  yards  we  located  a 
band  from  a  wagon  hub  11 V^  inches  in  diameter  and  1%  inches 
wide  and  Va.  inch  thick,  just  south  of  the  old  trail.  Within  30  feet 
of  this  band  to  the  northwest  we  found  7  pieces  of  oak  wood. 
All  were  probably  burned,  but  two  still  had  charcoal  on  the  ends 
and  one  had  red  paint  on  the  down  side.  Other  wagon  parts  we 
found  beneath  the  surface  were  5  miscellaneous  pieces  of  iron; 
1  piece  of  a  strip  from  the  top  of  a  wagon  box  8  inches  long; 
1  brace  iron  from  the  outside  of  a  wagon  box  10  inches  long  with 
2Va  inch  rivets  through  the  flat  part  and  a  %  inch  nut  on  the 
round  end;  1  -  20  D  cut  nail;  1  -  10  D  cut  nail;  1  flattened  iron 
band  2^4  inches  wide  and  6  inches  long  as  flattened  with 
2-14  inch  holes.  The  latter  may  have  been  used  around  a  splice 
of  a  broken  coupling  pole  or  wagon  tongue.  We  also  dug  up 
1  iron  staple  from  the  side  of  a  wagon  box  for  holding  a  bow, 
and  1  circular  metal  disc  about  the  size  of  a  dollar  and  in  the 
shape  of  the  back  of  a  watch  case.  All  of  these  items  were 
found  scattered  along  the  trail  for  70  yards,  commencing  50  yards 
west  of  the  barrel  hoop  marker.  This  is  where  the  three  wagons 
were  actually  burned,  although  it  is  possible  that  they  were  fired 
near  the  barrel  hoop  marker.  The  Indians  undoubtedly  got  the 
beer  out  before  firing  the  wagons.  As  the  three  wagons  were  not 
70  yards  long,  the  frantic  oxen  must  have  plunged  forward,  when 
the  blaze  started  in  an  attempt  to  escape  the  fire,  carrying  the 
wagons  to  the  1 1 0  yard  mark  where  the  front  wheels  came  loose 
and  the  hub  band  fell  off.  The  oxen  probably  continued  forward 
with  the  front  wheels  to  the  Government  Survey  site,  leaving  the 
burning  wagons.  We  found  no  empty  cartridge  cases  near  this 
place,  but  we  did  find  many  old  bone  fragments  scattered  along 
the  trail,  mostly  on  the  south  side. 

From  here  we  explored  the  vicinity  of  the  trail  westward  for  300 
yards  (410  yards  northwest  of  the  marker)  without  finding  any- 
thing except  animal  bones.  At  this  point  and  just  south  of  the 
trail  we  found  a  wagon  hub  band  8Vi  inches  in  diameter,  4  inches 


THE  HECK  REEL  WAGON  BURNING  161 

wide  and  Va  inch  thick  with  a  notch  for  lynch  pin.  About  40 
feet  northwest  of  this  hub  band  iron  we  found  a  lynch  pin  2^2 
inches  long  by  1  inch  wide  and  Vk  inch  thick  with  a  14  inch  hole 
near  the  small  end.  In  the  north  track  of  the  trail  opposite  this 
hub  band  we  found  a  loaded  .50  caliber  Spencer  cartridge  and 
within  25  feet  southeast  of  the  hub  band  we  found  2  .44-40 
center  fire  empty  shells  which  had  been  fired  in  a  1873  Model 
Winchester  rifle.  A  short  distance  off  we  dug  up  a  .50  caliber 
empty  Spencer  cartridge  case.  Within  an  area  of  about  60  feet 
we  found  1  -  %  inch  nut;  1  bow  staple;  1-4  inch  strip  off  the 
top  of  a  wagon  box;  1  piece  of  Vs  iron  plate  4  by  5  inches;  1  piece 
of  V^  inch  thick  iron  with  %  inch  hole  and  15/16  inch  nut.  The 
evidence  showed  that  this  was  the  place  where  the  wagons  were 
corralled  and  where  the  attack  was  made. 

As  the  freighters  had  fired  their  pistols  in  the  early  part  of  the 
fight,  we  were  surprised  that  we  did  not  find  any  empty  pistol 
cartridges.  This  could  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  firing 
was  from  the  wagons  and  the  empty  cartridges  ejected  in  the 
wagons.  If  the  shells  were  outside  primed,  the  men  might  have 
saved  them  for  reloading. 

We  found  no  evidence  of  burning  here  except  for  the  presence 
of  the  wagon  parts  which  were  buried  about  4  inches  deep  below 
the  surface,  indicating  that  they  had  been  here  as  long  as  the 
empty  .44-40  Winchester  cartridges.  All  the  accounts  state  that 
it  was  the  three  wagons  forming  the  rear  unit  which  were  burned; 
none  say  that  the  corralled  wagons  were  burned.  But  if  no  wagons 
burned  here,  how  can  the  presence  of  the  wagon  parts  be  ex- 
plained? It  is  improbable  that  these  could  have  been  shot  off  or 
otherwise  dislodged  from  the  corralled  wagons  by  the  attacking 
Indians.  After  the  oxen  had  torn  the  two  front  wheels  from  the 
wagon,  they  continued  their  stampede  along  the  trail  to  the  corral 
site  where  the  hub  band  and  other  parts  came  off.  Perhaps  a 
freighter  tried  to  stop  them  and  they  swerved,  so  that  the  careening 
wheels  were  upset  or  sideswiped  the  corral  wagons,  causing  the 
parts  to  fall  off.  The  wheel  oxen  which  were  burned  to  death, 
and  the  next  pair  which  were  burned  must  have  done  a  lot  of 
rearing  and  plunging  in  their  frantic  attempts  to  escape  the  flames. 
Their  mad  dash  probably  continued  until  they  reached  the  Govern- 
ment Survey  site  three  fourths  of  a  mile  further  on. 

About  200  yards  south  of  the  corral  site  were  found  2  -  .45-70 
Springfield  Model  1873  inside  primed  empty  cartridge  cases  of 
the  type  used  by  the  Army  at  the  time.  100  yards  to  the  west 
of  these  we  dug  up  two  more  of  them.  All  four  were  just 
over  the  crest  of  the  hill  or  divide  from  where  the  wagons  were 
corraled  and  are  probably  from  the  carbines  of  the  Indians.  A 
short  distance  west  of  the  shells  we  found  a  pile  of  rocks  which 
had  been  there  many  years.  It  was  of  a  type  similar  to  those 
built  by  Indians  in  marking  the  location  of  incidents  which  were 


162  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

important  to  them.  After  every  battle,  it  was  their  custom  to 
return  to  the  scene  and  mark  by  such  monuments  the  spots  where 
some  white  man  or  Indian  had  been  killed,  or  where  some  par- 
ticularly impressive  feat  of  bravery  had  been  performed.  These 
are  found  on  nearly  all  Indian  battlefields.  This  one  could  mark 
in  a  general  way  the  place  of  the  battle,  or  it  might  indicate  the 
spot  where  a  brave  had  been  killed. 

After  exploring  this  area  thoroughly  and  finding  nothing  more 
than  old  animal  bones,  we  continued  westward  along  the  trail  for 
200  yards  where  on  the  south  side  were  two  broken  horseshoes. 
From  this  point,  on  the  northwest  crest  of  a  hill,  we  continued 
westward  to  a  big  draw  about  another  200  yards  and  found 
nothing.  This  is  where  a  little  ridge  runs  southward  across  the 
road  and  was  probably  where  the  Indians  fired  on  Throstle  and 
Sherman  on  the  hill  crest  200  yards  towards  the  east  where  we 
found  the  horseshoes. 

We  made  no  attempt  to  explore  the  area  by  an  -exhaustive 
foot-by-foot  search  with  the  metal  detector,  believing  that  the 
material  already  found  was  sufficient  for  the  purpose  of  locating 
the  sites.  The  relics  enumerated  have  been  donated  to  the  Pioneer 
Museum  in  Douglas,  Wyoming,  and  are  on  display  there.  Most 
of  the  animal  bones  and  all  surface  barrel  hoops  were  left  where 
they  were  found.  The  wagon  parts  have  been  identified  by  L.  C. 
Bishop,  Albert  Sims,  and  Russell  Thorp,  who  grew  up  near  Fort 
Fetterman  and  Cheyenne,  and  are  familiar  with  all  aspects  of  the 
early  day  freighting  operations.  It  is  suggested  that  the  barrel 
hoop  marker  be  maintained  where  it  is  and  that  the  marker  at  the 
Governbent  Survey  site  be  altered  so  as  to  show  only  the  place 
where  the  old  telegraph  hne  reached  the  road.  We  hope  that  an 
appropriate  marker  will  be  placed  at  the  110  yard  site  to  indicate 
the  exact  location  where  the  wagons  burned,  and  another  in  the 
center  of  the  corral  site  where  the  attack  was  made.  The  valiant 
stand  made  by  this  gallant  little  band  of  freighters  on  the  old  Emi- 
grant Road  should  be  commemorated  in  our  Western  Tradition. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

1.  Annals  of  Wyoming,  Vol.  5,  Nos.  2  &  3,  p.  71. 

2.  Annals  of  Wyoming,  Vol.  3,  No.  3,  p.  177. 

3.  Annals  of  Wyoming,  Vol.  5,  No.  2,  p.  25. 

4.  Annals  of  Wyoming,  Vol.  28,  No.  1,  p.  54. 

5.  Cheyenne  and  Black  Hills  Stage  Routes,  by  Agnes  Wright  Spring,  Ar- 
thur H.  Clark  Company,  Glendale  4,  California.  1949. 

6.  Cheyenne  Daily  Leader,  August  3,  1876. 

7.  John    Hiinton    Diary,    August    2nd,    3rd,    1876    (Courtesy    of    L.    G. 
Flannery). 

8.  Richer  Interviews,  Tablet  16,  Narrative  of  American  Horse. 

9.  Rocky  Mountain  News,  August  3,  1876. 

10.  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Maps. 

11.  War  Department  Journal  of  Fort  Fetterman,  August  3rd,  4th,  and  5th, 
1876. 

12.  Wyoming  State  Tribune,  June  6,  1939. 


Zke  J^eginmng  of  a  Qreat  Emblem ' 

By 
George  N.  Ostrom 

At  the  Sheridan,  Wyoming,  Rodeo  in  1913  in  Sheridan,  the 
Indians  were  assembling  their  horses  on  the  race  track  for  the 
one-half  mile  horse  race.  One  of  the  horses  was  a  tall  rangy  sorrel 
mare  of  good  breeding  and  very  high  strung,  and  one  could  teU 
she  had  a  colt  left  in  the  corrals  which  were  across  the  track. 
After  many  tries  the  horses  were  finally  off  in  a  whirl  of  dust  and 
as  the  horses  approached  the  far  side  of  the  track  a  young  colt 
leaped  the  fence  and  joined  the  tall  sorrel  mare  which  was  his 
mother,  and  the  race  continued  with  the  horses  neck  to  neck  to 
the  finish  line.  The  sorrel  mare  was  to  run  another  race  later  so 
the  colt  had  to  be  roped  and  put  back  in  the  corral  and  the  Indian 
boys  proceeded  to  try  and  rope  it,  but  the  colt  had  other  ideas  and 
would  have  no  part  of  the  roping.  It  pulled  hard  against  the  rope 
when  they  finally  got  the  rope  around  its  neck  and  it  made  a  leap 
in  the  air  and  came  down  hard  on  the  ground.  I  did  not  Mke  the 
treatment  the  colt  was  getting  so  I  offered  the  Indian  boys  a  ten 
dollar  bill  for  it  which  they  accepted  and  with  a  little  help  and  a 
few  words  I  got  the  colt  in  a  trailer  and  to  a  stable  which  I  had 
some  distance  from  the  race  track.  I  later  broke  him  to  lead 
and  took  him  out  to  my  homestead  pasture  to  grow  up.  I  named 
him  Red  Wing  because  of  the  red  sorrel,  and  he  had  two  white 
stockings  and  a  white  face  with  the  silver  mane  and  tail. 

I  was  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  at  Sheridan  and  we 
were  called  out  to  serve  in  the  Mexican  Border  trouble  and  after 
two  years  I  returned  home  and  found  that  the  colt  had  grown  to 
be  a  beautiful  horse.  After  spending  time  with  him  I  broke  him 
to  ride.  In  a  short  time  World  War  One  was  declared  and  I  was 
to  report  again  in  Sheridan  with  the  National  Guard.  I  rode  Red 
Wing  into  Sheridan  intending  to  send  the  horse  back  to  my  home- 
stead with  a  friend,  but  that  was  where  life  changed  for  both  of  us. 
I  was  young,  the  horse  was  young,  and  we  were  full  of  different 
kinds  of  fun;  sometimes  the  fun  got  the  better  of  us.  We  were 
loading  a  troop  train  at  the  depot,  some  of  the  cars  were  to  be  used 


*  Author's  Note:  In  this  article  I  do  not  intend  to  discredit  or  dis- 
criminate against  any  party  or  acts  of  any  party  regarding  the  bucking 
broncho  on  the  Wyoming  license  plate.  I  take  full  credit  for  the  creation 
and  origination  and  the  first  use  of  a  bucking  broncho  to  identify  the  State 
of  Wyoming. 


164  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

for  baggage  and  I  was  put  in  charge  of  the  baggage  cars.  That 
was  when  the  idea  came  to  me  to  load  the  horse  in  the  baggage 
car  and  take  him  along.  I  decided  to  go  about  it  in  the  right  way 
and  contacted  the  remount  officer  and  have  him  buy  the  horse  for 
the  Army,  but  when  he  inspected  him  he  said  the  horse  was  too 
young  for  Army  use  but  by  doing  some  tooth  pulling  he  could  get 
him  by.  I  did  not  like  this  idea  so  I  decided  to  build  a  makeshift 
stall  in  the  baggage  car  and  sneak  Red  Wing  in,  which  I  did. 

We  were  stationed  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  and  I  put  Red  Wing 
in  the  remount  stable  with  the  rest  of  the  army  horses.  He  was 
not  too  well  broken  so  every  chance  I  got  I  rode  him,  but  I  was 
always  worried  that  some  outside  officer  would  order  the  horse  out. 
Red  Wing  established  his  own  right  to  stay  because  of  his  good 
looks  and  every  time  the  regiment  would  have  a  dress  parade  the 
majors  would  pick  the  mounts  at  the  stables  and  Red  Wing  so 
outclassed  the  other  army  nags  that  he  was  chosen  to  be  used. 
I  made  an  agreement  with  the  officers  that  if  I  could  keep  my  horse 
within  the  army  regulations  they  could  use  him  anytime  for  the 
parades. 

I  recall  the  first  dress  parade  that  Red  Wing  was  in.  In  camp 
we  had  two  pet  bears  and  during  the  heat  of  the  day  they  would 
stay  submerged  in  a  small  lake  beside  the  camp  and  as  the  day 
cooled  off  they  would  come  waddling  up  to  the  kitchen  for  a 
hand  out.  On  this  day  about  the  time  of  day  the  bears  were  com- 
ing to  the  kitchen  the  regiment  was  all  lined  up  to  the  last  breath 
of  attention  on  the  parade  ground,  which  was  directly  in  the  path 
of  the  bears  from  the  lake  to  the  kitchen.  Directly  in  front  of  the 
third  battalion  was  the  Major  on  Red  Wing  out  to  report  his 
battalion  all  accounted  for  by  a  stiff  salute  when  the  two  bears 
passed  in  front  of  Red  Wing.  At  this  point  Red  Wing  left  for  the 
stables  leaving  the  Major  hovering  in  mid-air  with  the  salute. 

After  a  short  time  in  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  we  were  sent  to 
North  Carolina  to  be  equipped  and  ready  for  overseas  duty.  By 
this  time  we  had  quite  a  number  of  remount  horses  to  be  shipped 
by  stock  cars  and  again  I  began  to  worry  how  I  was  going  to  get 
Red  Wing  to  North  Carolina.  When  it  was  time  to  entrain  I  found 
I  was  to  be  in  charge  of  a  few  baggage  cars  and  about  three  cars  for 
the  horses.  I  do  not  know  who  was  responsible  for  this  arrange- 
ment, but  of  course  in  loading  the  horses  I  included  Red  Wing. 
We  were  to  have  several  stops  in  route  to  feed  but  when  we  came 
to  the  stops  there  was  never  any  feed.  The  horses  became  very 
hungry  and  began  to  chew  the  boards  on  the  sides  of  the  cars,  and 
when  we  reached  Irwin,  Tennessee,  which  was  to  be  a  feed  stop, 
there  again  we  found  no  feed.  At  this  point  we  knew  the  horses 
must  be  fed,  so  with  the  aid  of  some  railroad  ties  we  made  an 
unloading  shute  and  platform.  We  unloaded  the  horses  and  took 
them  outside  of  town  to  pasture.  We  kept  back  some  horses  for 
herd  horses  and  I  kept  Red  Wing  for  a  herd  horse  and  rode  him. 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  A  GREAT  EMBLEM  165 

Unloading  the  horses  was  not  authorized  by  the  Army  but  al- 
though it  threw  us  off  schedule  we  stayed  until  the  horses  were  fed 
and  rested.  In  turn  for  the  hospitality  of  the  people  of  Irwin  we 
staged  a  real  western  rodeo  for  them  and  Red  Wing  was  one  of 
the  work  stock.  When  we  arrived  at  Charlotte,  North  Carolina, 
the  horses  were  ordered  moved  to  Newport  News,  Virginia,  to 
be  shipped  overseas.  The  men  were  sent  to  New  York  to  be  sent 
overseas  from  there.  With  the  horses  and  the  men  parting  till  we 
arrived  overseas  I  again  began  to  worry  how  Red  Wing  would  get 
on  ship.  The  personnel  of  the  transport  was  to  be  taken  from  our 
regiment  and  a  Captain  Colwell  was  chosen.  He  was  very  fond 
of  Red  Wing  and  promised  to  do  anything  he  could  to  see  that  Red 
Wing  would  go  along  with  the  rest  of  the  remounts  overseas.  When 
the  horses  left  North  Carolina  by  train  it  was  the  last  time  I  was 
to  see  Red  Wing  for  a  long  time. 

When  I  arrived  overseas  I  was  stationed  at  Bordeaux,  France, 
and  I  learned  that  Red  Wing  was  at  Tours,  France.  Our  regiment 
had  been  spht  with  two  battalions  being  made  combat  troops  and 
motorized.  That  meant  that  our  remount  horses  would  not  be  in 
my  regiment  and  I  was  again  concerned  about  Red  Wing.  I  had 
a  very  good  friend.  Major  H.  E.  Lonabaugh  from  Sheridan,  who 
went  with  the  noncombatant  battalion.  He  was  to  be  stationed 
near  where  Red  Wing  was  quartered  and  he  promised  to  look  after 
Red  Wing  till  the  war  was  over.  He,  too,  was  very  fond  of  Red 
Wing  having  ridden  him  many  times. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  I  went  to  Tours  to  see  Red  Wing.  I 
found  him  in  a  French  School  of  Equitation  and  had  a  good  job. 
He  was  receiving  the  best  of  care  and  my  ambition  was  to  bring 
him  home  with  me.  After  the  necessary  arrangements  were  made 
I  found  it  would  cost  me  fifteen  hundred  dollars  to  bring  him  to 
the  United  States.  I  could  not  afford  to  do  this  so  I  sold  him  to 
the  French  school,  and  as  far  as  I  know  he  finished  out  his  life 
there.  I  was  always  glad  the  regiment  split  and  he  never  had  to 
go  to  the  front  lines. 

Now  let  me  connect  the  Bucking  Broncho  emblem  of  the  148 
Field  Artillery  of  which  our  outfit  from  Sheridan  became  a  part. 
I  have  mentioned  we  were  a  split  regiment  and  assigned  to  a  corps, 
therefore  we  rather  lost,  or  did  not  rate,  the  emblem  of  any  divi- 
sion. Combat  units  seldom  were  identified  by  their  numbers  but 
had  an  emblem  like  the  rainbow  or  red  arrow  and  so  forth.  So 
while  on  the  Chateau-Thierry  defensive  the  command  issued  an 
order  for  suggested  designs  competive  to  the  regiment.  The  best 
designs  were  to  be  judged  by  the  command  and  the  one  they  picked 
was  to  be  used  as  the  emblem  that  would  identify  the  148  Field 
Artillery. 

I  decided  to  enter  the  contest  and  one  quiet  day  I  went  back  to 
where  we  had  our  noncombat  equipment  stored  along  with  paint 
and  other  things.     When  I  arrived  there  some  of  the  boys  were 


166 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Courtesy  George  N.  Ostrom 
A  G.P.F.   155  mm  French  rifle  showing  the  Bucking  Broncho  emblem. 
All  of  the  66th  Brigade  equipment  carried  the  design  and  was  known  as 
the  "Bucking  Broncho  Brigade  from  Wyoming." 


painting  some  equipment  and  I  borrowed  a  brush  and  paint.  Our 
band  instruments  were  also  stored  there  and  I  found  a  drum  and 
painted  a  picture  of  Red  Wing  bucking.  While  I  was  doing  this 
I  had  laid  down  my  brush  on  the  drum  rim  for  a  minute  and  a 
shell  exploded  close  by  and  bounced  the  brush  around  several  times 
on  the  drum  head.  I  remarked  to  the  boys  that  now  these  brush 
marks  on  the  drum  head  were  wound  stripes  for  Red  Wing.  When 
I  finished  the  picture  on  the  drum  head  I  took  it  to  the  Com- 
mander's tent  and  when  he  saw  the  bucking  broncho  design  he 
said  that  was  it.  The  contest  was  closed  and  that  the  design  made 
our  outfit  known  as  the  bucking  broncho  regiment  from  Wyoming. 
We  had  all  our  equipment,  our  road  signs  and  helmets  with  the 
bucking  broncho  painted  on  them.  When  we  got  to  Germany  the 
Germans  even  made  jewelry  with  the  bucking  broncho  on  it. 

When  we  returned  to  the  United  States  we  were  mustered  out 
of  service  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  and  being  a  National  Guard 
unit  originally  each  company  went  to  their  home  town.  Some  of 
our  outfit  was  from  Lander  and  they  of  course  had  their  equipment 
displaying  the  bucking  broncho,  even  to  lapel  buttons  with  the 
design  on  them. 

In  1935  a  Lander  man.  Dr.  Lester  C.  Hunt,  became  Secretary 
of  State,  and  one  of  his  first  actions  while  in  office  was  to  put 
the  bucking  broncho  on  the  Wyoming  automobile  license  plate, 
and  he  had  the  copyright  in  his  name. 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  A  GREAT  EMBLEM  167 

This  action  stirred  up  a  controversy  and  the  Boys  throughout  the 
State  who  had  served  in  the  war  under  this  emblem  or  design  at 
once  flooded  me  with  letters  and  conversation  protesting  against 
Mr.  Hunt's  action  in  copyrighting  the  broncho. 

When  Dr.  Hunt  ran  for  Governor  the  second  term  in  1946  I 
had  been  encouraged  by  so  many  people  who  knew  the  history  of 
the  broncho  that  I  appealed  to  him  to  give  the  copyright  to  the 
State  of  Wyoming.  Others  had  also  put  pressure  on  him  to  turn 
the  copyright  over  to  the  State,  and  he  finally  did  so.  Now  the 
counterpart  of  Red  Wing  is  merrily  bucking  down  the  road  on 
the  Wyoming  license  plate,  and  the  copyright  to  it  belongs  to  the 
people  of  the  State.* 

When  the  148  Field  Artillery  was  leaving  Germany  all  of  our 
equipment  was  to  stay  there,  even  the  drum  with  the  original  buck- 
ing broncho  picture  which  I  had  drawn  for  the  regiment  contest 
and  a  Mr.  Chuck  Lewis,  1st  Sgt.  of  F.  Battery,  cut  the  head  out 
of  the  drum  with  the  remark  that  he  was  going  to  take  that  home 
with  him  and  he  did  just  that.  A  few  years  ago  Mr.  Lewis  was 
killed  in  a  gun  battle  with  a  desperate  gunman  in  Powell,  Wyo- 
ming^  I  understand  his  widow  still  lives  in  Powell  and  she  might 
still  have  this  drum  head  in  her  possession. 

Without  any  doubt  the  idea  of  the  bucking  broncho  emblem  was 
started  by  the  service  men  of  Wyoming  during  World  War  One 
and  regardless  who  put  it  on  the  license  plate  that  was  an  im- 
portant and  wonderful  act  and  should  have  its  merits  and  I  believe 
it  has.  This  great  emblem  is  unusual  and  has  a  great  history 
behind  it.  When  one  sees  it  in  competition  with  the  usual  emblems 
of  other  states,  one  feels  himself  and  the  great  state  of  Wyoming 
very  outstanding,  of  which  he  has  every  right. 


*  Editor's  Note:  The  bucking  broncho  designed  by  Mr.  Ostrom  and 
that  used  on  the  Wyoming  license  are  not  the  same  although  they  are 
similar.  The  license  plate  broncho  was  designed  by  Allen  True.  See 
"Wyoming's  Insignia — The  Bucking  Horse"  by  Jean  C.  Gaddy,  Annals  of 
Wyoming,  Vol.  26  No.  2,  July  1954,  pp.  129-136. 

1.  Killed  by  Earl  Durand  in  March,  1939. 


Quo  Vadis  in  Wyoming, 
March,  J 876 

By 

Edmund  A.  Bojarski 

Henry  Sienkiewicz,  the  world  famous  author  of  Quo  Vadis? 
and  Nobel  Prize  winning  Polish  novelist  crossed  the  United  States 
late  in  the  winter  of  1876  and  recorded  his  astute  journalistic 
impressions  of  the  places  visited  in  a  series  of  Letters  From  A 
Journey  To  America.  These  impressions  have  never  been  pub- 
lished in  English  translation  despite  the  considerable  historical 
interest  they  contain  for  students  of  Americana.  The  paragraphs 
which  follow  are  a  translation  of  Sienkiewicz's  impressions  of  the 
state  of  Wyoming  during  his  first  transcontinental  journey. 

".  .  .  .  That  evening!  we  arrived  in  Pine  Bluffs  on  the  border 
of  Nebraska  and  Wyoming.  The  character  of  the  scenery  changed 
completely,  passing  from  flat  to  mountainous.  The  train  continued 
to  travel  on  a  plain,  but  on  either  side  we  could  see  mountains 
with  their  tops  covered  with  snow  or  cliffs  often  piled  into  ex- 
tremely fantastic  forms  reminiscent  of  the  ruined  castles  along  the 
Rhine.  The  area  is  wild  and  gloomy,  and  from  the  cars  we  could 
again  see  antelope  and  prairie  dog  towns.  We  were  approaching 
Cheyenne,  a  station  in  Wyoming,  but  before  reaching  it  we  rode 
through  the  first  snowshed,  which  was  more  than  a  mile  long. 
These  snowsheds  are  extremely  long  galleries  covered  by  a  roof 
to  protect  the  railroad  tracks  from  snowdrifts.  I  had  heard  so 
many  tales  and  so  much  wonder  about  them  that  I  admit  complete 
disappointment.  It  is  true  that  these  galleries  are  very  long,  but 
also  that  they  are  nailed  together  of  planks  and  beams  in  the 
crudest  manner.  The  beams  are  held  together  by  nails — in  the 
roof  a  multitude  of  holes — in  a  word,  the  whole  thing  was  built 
the  way  we  used  to  build  houses  a  few  decades  ago.  Although 
construction  of  this  type  can  be  completely  adequate,  in  no  case 
does  it  warrant  being  regarded  as  the  eighth  wonder  of  the  world. 

Having  ridden  out  of  the  snowshed,  we  had  before  us  a  mag- 
nificent scene.  To  the  right  of  the  train  the  Black  Hills  to  which 
so  many  people  travelled  through  Omaha  and  Sious  City  could  be 
seen  as  clearly  as  on  the  palm  of  your  hand.     This  is  a  separate 


1.  March  11th,  1876. 


QUO  VADIS  IN  WYOMING,  MARCH,   1876  169 

group,  like  our  Tatras,  standing  apart  from  the  other  chains  on  a 
plain.  Against  the  backdrop  of  the  leaden  sky  and  the  scenery 
dusted  with  snow,  these  mountains  did,  indeed,  appear  as  black 
as  night  and  somehow  mysterious,  grim  and  foreboding.  Only 
their  highest  peaks  were  covered  with  snow,  and  besides  that,  their 
black  color  has  not  even  a  trace  of  the  bluish  tinge  which  other 
mountains  have.  At  the  moment,  they  are  witnesses  to  the  horrible 
drama  being  enacted  between  the  redskins  and  the  whites.^ 

Finally  we  arrived  in  Cheyenne.  The  entire  population  of  the 
station  was  excited  and  restless.  Tumbling  over  each  other,  they 
told  us  that  a  battle  had  taken  place  between  the  miners  and  the 
Sioux  the  day  before  and  that  the  miners  had  suffered  defeat. 
They  had  lost  eight  dead  and  over  a  dozen  wounded,  and  besides 
that,  all  the  horses,  oxen  and  food  supplies.  It  is  probable  that 
before  new  supplies  are  delivered  via  Omaha  and  Sioux  City, 
hunger  and  misery  will  reign  among  them  because  supplies  cannot 
come  through  Cheyenne  even  though  it  is  closest  to  the  Black 
Hills.     The  road  between  is  inaccessible. 

The  train  stopped  in  Cheyenne  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  I  lis- 
tened to  the  accounts  of  the  battle  for  a  few  minutes  and  then 
admired  the  huge  gray  grizzly  bear  which,  having  caused  a  dis- 
turbance too  near  the  station,  had  been  killed,  or  rather  shot  by 
every  available  rifle,  by  the  inhabitants.  This  monster,  which  had 
a  head  measuring  more  than  a  foot  across,  was  so  large  that  when 
he  was  stood  up  on  his  hind  paws,  people  of  average  height  only 
came  up  to  his  shoulders.  In  general,  there  are  supposed  to  [be] 
great  numbers  of  them  in  the  vicinity  of  Cheyenne. 

Cheyenne  lies  directly  within  the  Rocky  Mountain  system.  It  is 
6,041  feet,  or  almost  as  much  as  our  Lomnica,  above  sea  level. 
Further  on  beyond  the  station  the  snowsheds  go  on  almost  without 
interruption  and  the  snowdrifts  everywhere  are  tremendous.  The 
little  stops.  Hazard,  Otto,  Granite  Canon  and  Buford  lie  at  ever 
higher  elevations,  and  at  last  we  reached  the  Sherman  station,  the 
highest  elevation  on  the  whole  line,  which  lies  9,000  feet  above 
sea  level. 

There  is  nothing  sadder  than  the  view  of  this  station.  On  a 
small  bare  plain  stands  a  house  with  its  roof  thickly  covered  with 
snowdrifts.  The  air  is  thin  and  so  piercing  that  despite  our  furs 
we  shivered  with  the  cold.  Snow  falls  almost  continuously  here 
and  the  gale  howls  and  twists  clouds  of  snowflakes.  In  some 
places  naked  black  cliffs  off  which  the  wind  blows  the  drifts  today 


2.  At  the  moment  in  which  I  write  this  (the  latter  half  of  July)  war 
already  rages  in  earnest  in  the  Black  Hills  area,  and  not  between  the  miners 
and  the  Indians  either,  but  between  the  government  of  the  United  States 
and  the  latter.  According  to  the  latest  dispatches,  the  forces  under  the 
command  of  General  Custer  suffered  a  costly  defeat. 


170  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  will  blow  them  back  tomorrow  jut  out  suddenly.  I  do  not 
understand  how  people  can  live  and  reside  permanently  in  these 
places  where  the  lungs  are  actually  deprived  of  breath,  one's  ears 
ring,  and  blood  appears  on  the  lips  of  weaker  persons. 

On  the  1 1  th  of  March  we  began  our  descent,  but  even  on  this 
side  the  decline  in  elevation  is  not  extremely  noticeable  because 
we  are  always  at  least  a  few  thousand  feet  above  sea  level.  We 
are  already  at  the  borders  of  Wyoming. 

During  the  afternoon  of  that  same  day  we  reached  the  Green 
River,  which  originates  in  the  mountains  not  far  from  here.  The 
country  is  rocky  everywhere  and  the  cliffs  assume  such  fantastic 
shapes  that  this  is  almost  the  most  interesting  part  of  the  trip. 
Some  are  like  obelisks,  others  like  pyramids,  and  there  again 
stands  a  castle  you  would  swear  had  been  erected  by  human  hands 
because  it  lacks  neither  towers,  shooting  turrets,  nor  even  a  circular 
wall.  But  there  is  another  change:  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see  the 
cliffs  are  getting  lower  and  creating  walls  as  long,  straight  and 
regular  as  if  built  with  a  plumbline  and  compass.  .  .  ." 


Mcmoriamfrom  One  Old  Soldier 
to  Motker 

By 
Minnie  Presgrove 

Mist  clouded  the  eyes  of  the  tired  but  jubilant  party  on  August 
21,  1927  as  they  placed  a  copper  box  beneath  a  cairn  of  stones 
on  the  very  summit  of  Fremont  Peak. 

A  mission  was  accomplished.  One  grand  old  soldier's  promise, 
made  to  a  Civil  War  buddy,  had  been  kept.  Perseverance  on  the 
part  of  Captain  Herman  G.  Nickerson  had  overcome  obstacles 
that  had  sprung  up  for  15  long  years.  And  now,  the  victory  was 
theirs.  "Cap"  Nickerson  had  conquered  the  peak,  in  honor  of 
his  old  friend  General  John  C.  Fremont. 

Cap  Nickerson,  a  territorial  legislator,  didn't  make  the  ascent 
himself,  but  he  was  there  in  spirit.  His  indomitable  courage 
urged  on  others  who  actually  retraced  Fremon't  ascent  to  the 
summit  of  Fremont  Peak. 

Nickerson  prepared  the  box  to  hold  the  mementos,  consisting 
of  two  photostatic  copies  of  letters  written  by  Fremont.  One 
letter  described  his  trip  when  he  climbed  Fremont  Peak  in  1842. 
The  other  letter  expressed  the  wish  that  Nickerson  retrace  Fre- 
mont's trip.  In  the  box  he  also  placed  a  register  for  all  who 
climbed  the  peak  to  sign.  Nickerson  chose  copper,  a  metal  that 
can  withstand  the  assaults  of  time  and  weather.  Copper,  a  metal 
befitting  Fremont  with  whom  he  had  served  in  the  Civil  War. 

Bad  luck  delayed  Nickerson.  The  first  trip  was  planned  for 
the  summer  of  1912  but  he  was  injured  in  a  car  accident.  The  trip 
was  then  postponed  for  13  years  with  Nickerson  becoming  more 
determined  than  ever  that  the  next  summer  he  would  surely  make 
the  trip. 

When  he  was  84  years  old,  he  was  forced  to  give  up  personally 
attempting  to  scale  the  peak.  He  asked  Joe  Felter  of  Pinedale  to 
fulfill  the  mission.  Bad  luck  dogged  Felter,  too.  Nickerson  sent 
the  box  containing  the  records  from  Lander  to  Felter  in  Pinedale. 

Felter  was  accompanied  by  Fred  Snyder,  also  of  Pinedale.  The 
two  men  walked  from  the  head  of  Fremont  Lake.  Their  journey 
took  them  up  the  rough  canyon  of  Fremont  Creek.  Felter  and 
Snyder  gained  altitude  steadily.  Rocks  rolled  beneath  their  feet. 
They  wondered  about  the  descent.  They  didn't  want  to  tumble 
to  the  bottom  after  the  climb.  They  took  time  to  place  stones  in 
piles  to  make  their  descent  easier. 


172  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

When  Felter  was  500  feet  from  the  summit,  the  wind  changed. 
They  saw  clouds  gathering.  Both  men  knew  that  a  storm  was 
approaching.  Felter  led  the  way,  urging  his  companion  to  hurry. 
The  wind  blew  fiercely.  Then,  the  storm  engulfed  them.  Snow 
pelted  them  from  all  sides.  They  could  not  see.  Felter  could  not 
go  on.    It  was  too  cold  to  wait  for  the  storm  to  abate. 

The  men's  shoulders  slumped.  With  faltering  difficult  steps 
they  made  their  way  back  to  the  "saddle"  at  the  foot  of  the  steep 
climb  to  the  summit.  Here  Felter  and  Snyder  built  a  cairn  of 
stones  in  which  they  placed  the  box. 

Again  Cap  Nickerson  seemed  to  have  met  with  defeat.  But 
again,  he  started  plans  afresh.  This  time  he  enlisted  the  aid  of 
members  of  his  family  to  form  a  party  to  place  the  box  where  he 
desired  it  placed — on  the  summit  and  no  place  else. 

Two  more  years  passed  and  then  in  August,  the  party  set  out. 
In  the  party  were  four  members  of  Nickerson's  family,  his  son, 
O.  K.  Nickerson;  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Fred  Stratton;  a  grand-daughter, 
Alta  May  Carson  and  a  son-in-law,  John  Maclean.  Joe  Felter 
accompanied  them  to  show  them  where  he'd  left  the  box  two  years 
previously.  E.  E.  McKee,  a  forest  ranger  from  Pinedale  who  had 
chmbed  the  peak  in  1917,  was  engaged  as  a  guide. 

Camp  was  made  at  Surveyor  Park  the  first  night,  which  was 
Friday  night.  The  party  had  travelled  to  Surveyor  Park  in  a 
truck.  Horses  were  rented  here  to  ride  to  Island  Lake  where 
they  camped  the  next  night. 

Early  Sunday  morning  the  start  was  made  from  Island  Lake 
camp.  The  party  started  out  on  horseback  but  the  horses  were 
left  about  a  mile  out  of  camp  when  it  became  a  matter  of  losing 
time  hunting  out  a  course  over  which  horses  could  go.  They  had 
about  two  and  one-half  miles  of  walking  over  rocks  and  snowbanks 
along  the  edge  of  a  valley  containing  a  string  of  small  lakes,  on  a 
gradually  increasing  up-grade  before  they  reached  the  saddle  where 
Felter  had  placed  the  box  two  years  before. 

The  magnificent  view  that  they  would  get  from  the  summit  of 
the  peak  obscured  all  thoughts  of  fatigue  as  they  chmbed  Fremont 
Peak,  13,730  feet  above  sea  level,  third  highest  in  Wyoming.  All 
the  members  of  the  group,  on  clear  days,  had  seen  Fremont  Peak 
from  Highway  187  between  Pinedale  and  Eden.  They  had  been 
profoundly  stirred  by  the  magnificent  panorama  of  the  Wind 
River  Mountains  that  loom  to  the  eastward.  Fremont  did  not 
know  that  the  mountain  he  saw  so  vividly  to  the  northward  was 
the  highest  peak  in  Wyoming,  now  called  Mount  Gannett.  When 
Fremont  turned  a  little  and  looked  far  to  the  northwest,  he  saw 
the  majestic  Tetons,  and  the  second  highest  mountain  in  Wyoming, 
the  Grand  Teton. 

Rumbhngs  of  thunder  and  the  movement  of  clouds  over  the 
peaks  to  the  west  announced  an  approaching  storm  as  they  neared 
the  saddle.    Felter  led  the  way  to  the  cairn  where  they  found  the 


MEMORIAM  FROM  ONE  OLD  SOLDIER  TO  ANOTHER       173 

copper  box.  Snow  had  already  begun  to  fall-  lightly.  All  in  the 
party  examined  the  contents  of  the  box,  signed  the  register,  secured 
the  lid  and  struggled  on. 

The  wind  seemed  angry  at  anyone  who  dared  to  climb  the  peak. 
Fiercer  and  fiercer  it  blew.  Snow  enveloped  them  like  a  demented 
cloud  that  was  determined  to  block  their  way.  They  went  on. 
Breathlessly,  step  by  step  they  worked  their  way  up  the  steep  climb. 
McKee  led  the  way.  Felter  carried  the  box.  All  thoughts  of 
seeing  the  view  from  the  summit  were  blotted  from  their  minds. 
To  reach  the  summit  at  all  seemed  an  impossibility.  On  they 
struggled.  Finally,  they  were  there.  Determination  won  out.  The 
peak  was  conquered  at  last. 

McKee,  with  fresh  energy,  hastened  to  find  the  tin  can  that  had 
been  left  on  the  summit  by  Charles  Stroud  in  1915.  This  can 
contained  some  records  about  Stroud's  ascent  to  the  peak.  McKee 
had  placed  some  records  in  the  same  can  in  1917.  They  put  these 
records  in  the  copper  box,  also. 

The  group  had  reached  the  summit  but  their  work  was  not  over. 
In  the  treacherous  wind  and  driving  snow,  they  gathered  stones  to 
build  a  cairn  to  protect  the  box.  The  mission  was  at  last  ful- 
filled. Exultation  showed  in  the  faces  and  actions  of  every  mem- 
ber of  the  party.     Could  even  Fremont's  trip  equal  theirs? 

Cap  Nickerson,  just  two  months  before  his  death,  after  1 5  years 
of  delay  and  disappointment  had  realized  a  life-long  ambition: 
to  erect  a  monument  to  General  Fremont  for  whom,  at  Cap 
Nickerson's  suggestion,  Fremont  County  was  named. 


The  original  of  the  following  letter  from  Fremont  to  Nickerson 
is  in  the  holdings  of  the  State  Archives  and  Historical  Department, 
H.  C.  Nickerson  Collection. 

New  Brighton  Staten  Island  N.  Y.      22d  March  1884 

Hon  H.  G.  Nickerson, 

South  Pass  City,  Fremont  County,  Wyoming  Terr  y  : 

My  dear  Sir, 

I  have  to  thank  you  for  your  letter  of  the  8  th  in  which  you 
inform  me  that  the  legislature  of  Wyoming  had  given  my  name 
to  the  new  County  which  embraces  the  Wind  River  chain  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains. 

In  making  sure  to  yourself  my  thanks  for  your  active  part  in 
having  this  honor  conferred  upon  me  and  my  companions  I  would 
have  been  glad  at  the  same  time  to  make  my  acknowledgements 
to  the  Legislature  for  the  unexpected  pleasure  they  have  given  me 
in  attaching  my  name  to  the  beautiful  region  which  was  the  object 


174  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  termination  of  a  journey  full  of  interest  and  excitement  and 
which  has  remained  always  pleasantly  fresh  in  my  memory. 

Coming  as  it  does  after  many  years,  their  recognition  of  the  work 
of  that  day,  with  the  approval  which  I  may  be  permitted  to  assume 
that  the  recognition  impUes,  is  very  gratifying  to  me.  Perhaps, 
as  occasion  may  serve,  and  by  way  of  completing  this  friendly 
service  in  my  behalf,  you  wlil  kindly  thank  the  members  of  the 
legislature  for  me. 

Meantime  I  trust  that  I  shall  continue  in  the  enjoyment  of  your 
own  friendship  and  assuring  you  that  I  fully  reciprocate  it    I  am 

Yours  truly, 
J.  C.  Fremont 


Zhe  Mole-m-tke-  Wall 

By 

Thelma  Gatchell  Condit 

PART  V,  SECTION  3:   OUTLAWS  AND  RUSTLERS 

Arapahoe  Brown 

Andrew  (Arapahoe)  Brown,  while  a  dangerous  man  and  not  by 
any  stretch  of  the  imagination,  an  exemplary  character,  was  not 
an  ordinary  outlaw.  He  used  sense  with  his  killings — to  him  it  was 
not  only  logical  but  justifiable  to  remove,  in-so-far  as  he  was  able, 
whatever  got  in  his  way;  and  this  he  did  himself.  He  had  no 
"partners-in-crime"  until  the  very  last;  and  when  he  did,  it  was  his 
complete  undoing. 

Perhaps  Brown's  aggressive  attitude  toward  life  was  partly  due 
to  his  physical  bigness,  for  he  was  powerfully  built,  a  regular  giant 
of  a  man,  tall,  big-framed,  raw-boned,  straight-backed,  square- 
faced,  long-armed  and  big-handed.  He  was  quite  an  imposing 
figure,  to  say  the  least.  He  had  the  habit,  when  he  spoke,  of 
looking  straight  at  a  person  out  of  dark  brown  eyes.  There  was 
no  cruelty  in  his  eyes — they  were  not  the  hard,  bold,  sunfacy  type 
that  show  evil  underneath.  Brown's  eyes  were  deep-set  under 
prominent  brows  and  a  broad  forehead;  intelhgent,  "wide-awake- 
looking"  eyes,  the  unblinking  kind  that  served  to  accentuate  the 
over-all  forcefulness  of  the  man.  His  hugeness,  coupled  with  the 
unwavering  intensity  of  his  gaze  immediately  convinced  a  person 
that  Brown  was  not  a  man  to  be  lightly  reckoned  with.  Everything 
about  him  showed  strength  and  deep-rooted  determination,  and 
you  felt  mightily  disinclined  to  interfere  with  him  in  any  way.  You 
just  automatically  stepped  aside  and  let  him  pass.  The  thumb  of 
his  left  hand  was  missing  (rumor  said  it  had  been  chewed  off  by 
an  adversary  in  a  fight  up  in  the  timber — when  neither  had  a  gun) . 
However,  its  absence  was  in  no  way  a  disfigurement — rather  it 
seemed  to  enhance  the  commanding  physical  strength  of  the  man. 

Andrew  Brown  appeared  out  of  nowhere  in  the  wolf-trapping 
days  and  was  seen  frequently  in  the  Hole-in-the-Wall  country.  He 
was  known  as  Arapahoe  Brown,  having  acquired  the  name  through 
his  association  with  the  Arapahoe  Indians.  Some  folks  say  he 
was  raised  by  them  because  his  parents  had  been  killed  by  Indians 
on  their  way  west  from  Tennessee;  others  say  his  living  with  the 
Arapahoes  wasn't  entirely  involuntary — that  he  took  up  with  them 
by  choice.  At  any  rate,  one  idea  is  as  good  as  another,  because 
no  one  knew  anything  for  sure  about  his  past,  and,  for  that  matter, 


Courtesy  Thelma  G.  Condit 
Andrew  "Arapahoe"  Brown 


THE    HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  177 

knew  nothing  about  his  present  comings  and  goings  either.  Like 
an  Indian  he'd  appear  out  of  nowhere  and  sit  down  by  a  fellow's 
campfire  warming  himself  and  the  next  moment  he  was  gone.  In 
those  days  he  was  very  dark,  and  very  tanned  and  smooth-shaven. 
He  wore  his  hair  long  like  an  Indian  and  was  dressed  in  buckskin 
garb  and  moccasins.  He  often  visited  the  Barnums.  Old  Tom 
said,  "Arapahoe  never  said  much,  but  was  always  pleasant  and 
friendly.  He  had  a  nice  voice,  spoke  soft  and  low — never  acted 
out-of-the-way.  We'd  never  hear  him  come  or  go.  Sometimes 
he'd  set  up  and  eat,  but  most  generally  he'd  just  set  behind  the 
stove  and  warm  up — squattin'  on  the  floor  like  an  Indain — rubbin' 
his  big  hands  over  his  knees,  and  up  and  down  his  long  legs," 

Sometimes  Arapahoe  was  seen  with  Wild  Cat  Sam  and  Shorty 
Wheelwright,  but  mostly  he  trapped  alone.  He  and  Shorty  would 
make  an  odd-looking  pair,  riding  along  loaded  down  with  traps; 
a  short-legged,  wiry-little  fellow  on  a  big  "rangy"  horse,  and  the 
big,  long-legged  fellow  on  a  small,  spotted  Indian  pony,  his  big 
moccasined  feet  practically  dragging  on  the  ground. 

Arapahoe  had  a  big  staghound,  brown-brindled  and  wire-haired 
that  could  kill  a  gray  wolf  single-handed.  He  also  had  a  "bawling" 
hound — a  black  and  tan  Missouri  coon-hound.  This  animal  was 
so  fast  he  could  get  clear  out  of  sight  when  hot  on  the  trail  of  a 
wolf  or  coyote.  Arapahoe  wasn't  satisfied  until  he  got  himself  a 
horse  that  could  keep  up  with  this  "bawhn'  "  hound.  He  liked  his 
horses  and  dogs  and  took  mighty  good  care  of  them. 

Wild  Cat  Sam  had  a  bitch  setter  dog.  (See  picture)  She  had 
a  litter  of  pups  out  of  Arapahoe's  staghound  and  these  pups  were 
the  fastest  rabbit-chasing  dogs  you  ever  saw.  A  jack  rabbit  didn't 
have  a  chance  in  the  world  out  on  the  flats.  Old  Sam  would  say, 
"We  got  'vittals'  for  supper — roasted  jack  rabbit's  mighty  fine 
eatin'  to  my  way  of  thinkin'."  Sam  had  to  admit  that  Arapahoe's 
bawlin'  hound  was  a  pretty  fair  dog,  but  not  like  one  a  friend  of 
his  had  down  in  Missouri.  "All  that  fella  had  to  do  was  show  that 
hound  a  piece  of  wood,  and  by  gum,  here  he'd  come  with  a  dad- 
blamed"  coon  that'd  fit  right  over  that  board.  All  he  had  to  do 
was  skin  it  out  and  stretch  it  to  dry.  One  day  his  ole  woman  got 
careless-like  and  left  the  ironin'  board  settin'  outdoors  and  blamed 
if  that  old  hound  wasn't  so  all-fired  crazy  to  hunt  coons  that  he 
high-tailed  it  out  to  find  a  coon  to  fit  that  there  ironin'-board. 
Did  he  find  one?  Hell,  no,  he  didn't,  but  he  might — he  ain't 
back  yet." 

But  Arapahoe  wasn't  content  to  be  just  a  wolfer  and  wanderer. 
While  strictly  an  outdoorsman  and  all,  he  had  an  ambitious  side  to 
him  that  struggled  for  fulfillment — ^he  hankered  to  make  money 
and  be  something  in  his  own  right.  This  fact,  too,  was  undoubt- 
edly another  factor  nurturing  his  inborn  aggressiveness.  Maybe 
personal  frustrations  nagged  at  him  inwardly  causing  him  to  act 
the  bully.    Or  maybe  he  was  just  an  idealogical  person  who  needed 


178  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

no  grounds  or  ideas  to  justify  his  acts  (the  worst  type  of  criminal). 
At  any  rate  there  was  nothing  about  him  that  suggested  in  any 
way  that  he  either  desired  or  sought  the  approval  of  his  fellowmen. 
He  was  sufficient  unto  himself.  Like  the  average  wolfer  he  wasn't 
content  to  live  freely,  independently  and  unrestrained — he  wanted 
all  that,  and  more.  Maybe  his  education  or  something  in  his  past 
goaded  him  on — anyway,  later  on  an  entirely  different  side  of  his 
dual  personality  is  revealed  in  his  association  with  the  Huson 
family  on  Crazy  Woman. 

Edward  W.  Huson  was  born  in  Boston  where  he  had  been 
educated  to  be  a  doctor;  but  like  so  many  others  he  wanted  to  go 
West.  So  in  the  late  '70's  he  went  to  Wisconsin  where  he  found 
himself  a  good  wife.  Next  he  went  to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  where 
he  started  practicing  medicine.  Here  unfortunately  he  contracted 
typhoid  fever  and  became  violently  ill.  After  a  long,  seemingly 
endless  period  of  convalescence  he  decided  to  get  farther  west  into 
a  high,  dry  climate.  So  in  1881  the  family  arrived  in  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming,  with  wagons  and  teams  carrying  their  few  worldly  pos- 
sessions. It  was  here  the  Husons  met  John  R.  Smith,  who  was 
already  firmly  established  at  Trabing,  Wyoming,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  Indians  weren't  exactly  peacefully  inclined  toward 
the  few  white  settlers. 

In  1882  the  Husons  came  on  north  and  took  up  land  on  Crazy 
Woman  right  below  present  day  "Tipperary"  (where  they  stayed 
until  1889).  It  was  here  they  became  acquainted  with  Arapahoe 
Brown.  They  grew  to  be  fast  friends — Arapahoe  Brown  proved 
indeed  "A  friend  in  need"  as  they  built  a  homestead  cabin  and  set 
up  residence  in  this  wild,  unpopulated  area.  Dr.  Huson  and 
Arapahoe  hunted  buffalo  and  other  wild  game.  It  was  then  that 
the  doctor  learned  the  ways  of  the  great  western  outdoors  and 
gradually  and  completely  regained  his  good  health.  Arapahoe  and 
the  doctor  spent  evening  after  evening  in  stimulating,  social  con- 
versation, discussing  events  of  the  times,  philosophy,  poetry,  books, 
etc.  It  was  very  evident  that  Andrew  Brown  was  a  well-educated 
man.    He  had  by  now  grown  a  mustache  and  a  small  "goatee". 

The  Shoshoni  and  Arapahoe  Indians  used  to  camp  on  Crazy 
Woman  below  the  Huson  homestead,  1,000  at  a  time,  to  cut  up 
and  dry  their  Buffalo  meat  and  make  the  ever-needed  pemmican. 
This  would  have  been  indeed  frightening  had  not  Arapahoe  Brown 
been  there,  for  as  Dr.  Huson  said,  "He  was  quite  an  Indian  fellow 
— could  get  anything  out  of  a  bunch  of  Indians."  He  used  to 
spend  quite  a  bit  of  his  time  with  the  Indians  when  they  were 
buffalo  hunting. 

But  Rap,  in  spite  of  all  this  apparent  sociality,  was  still  myster- 
ious and  abrupt  about  his  comings  and  goings.  After  days  of 
enjoyable  hunting  and  visiting  he'd  suddenly  be  gone,  to  appear 
weeks  later  just  before  the  evening  meal.  Perhaps  he'd  come  in 
all  covered  with  snow,  and,  unfastening  his  heavy  buffalo-hide 


THE    HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  179 

coat  remark,  "Well,  Doc,  I  think  we're  going  to  have  a  chinook 
tomorrow".    And  they  did.    , 

It  was  while  Arapahoe  was  doing  a  lot  of  visiting  at  the  Huson's, 
and  soon  after  a  Deadwood  Stage  robbery,  that  one  dark  night  two 
strangers  knocked  at  the  door  and  asked  if  the  doctor  would  set  a 
man's  leg.  They  were  tired-looking  and  heavily  armed.  Both 
were  red-eyed  and  dust-covered  to  the  point  where  it  was  hard  to 
tell  much  what  their  faces  were  like  normally.  They  were  tall, 
well-built  fellows  drooping  with  fatique.  One  said,  "Doc,  this 
man's  needin'  a  doctor  mighty  bad.  We're  figgerin'  on  bringin' 
him  in".  Dr.  Huson  didn't  see  how  he  could  rightly  refuse  such  a 
request  (or  was  it  an  order?)  and  while  looking  them  over  it 
flashed  through  his  mind  that  it  was  very  odd  indeed  that  they  had 
called  him  "Doc".  How  had  they  known  anything  about  him? 
How  did  they  know  he  lived  there?  How  had  they  found  him? 
At  the  same  moment  he  had  a  queer  prickly  feeling  up  and  down 
his  spine  sensing  that  it  would  be  unwise  to  refuse  the  request 
had  he  had  such  a  notion. 

He  told  them  to  bring  the  man  in  and  go  stable  their  horses  and 
have  a  bite  to  eat,  said  he  could  put  them  up  for  the  night.  The 
fellow  was  in  a  bad  way  for  sure,  plumb  used-up  and  suffering 
plenty,  said  his  "horse  had  stumbled  and  fell  on  his  leg."  After 
the  doctor  and  his  wife  finished  working  with  him,  they  looked 
around  but  no  one  was  there — the  other  two  strangers  had  va- 
moosed. Thinking  maybe  they'd  bedded  down  in  the  barn,  the 
doctor  investigated,  but  the  only  thing  he  found  was  a  big  long- 
legged  brown  horse  tied  to  the  manger,  tiredly  eating  oats.  It  was 
plain  to  be  seen  that  "he'd  done  some  hard-going",  for  he  was 
sweat-caked  and  muddy.  To  one  side  lay  "The  swellest  silver- 
mounted  saddle  and  bridle  a  fella'd  ever  care  to  see".  "Odd,  now 
wasn't  it,  if  them  fella's  was  in  such  a  hurry  to  leave,  why  had  they 
taken  time  to  unsaddle  that  horse  and  give  him  some  oats?  How'd 
they  know  where  them  oats  was,  now  you  come  to  think  about  it?" 

For  a  week  or  more  the  cowboy  took  a  "heap  of  watching" — he 
was  a  sick  man.  He  stayed  there  for  over  a  month,  "him  and  his 
horse,"  but  the  Husons  enjoyed  the  stranger's  stay.  As  Harry 
Huson,  then  a  boy,  said,  "He  was  the  finest  lookin'  man  I  ever 
saw — the  pleasantest  fella  you  could  ever  talk  to — smart,  too,  and 
well-raised  and  educated.  He  was  a  good-hearted  devil — had  a 
smile  a  foot  long.  He  was  a  southerner,  and  very  dark  complected, 
musta  been  six  feet  tall  and  musta  weighed  170  pounds.  He  was 
sure  nice  to  us  kids.  We'd  break  our  necks  waitin'  on  him.  We'd 
do  anything,  just  so  he'd  smile  and  tell  us  things  in  that  fascinatin' 
southern  drawl." 

One  day  when  he  got  so  he  could  hobble  around  fairly  well,  the 
cowboy  said,  "Have  the  boys  get  my  horse  in  the  corral  with  the 
bunch.    I  aim  to  be  leavin'  in  the  morning." 


180  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

So  the  following  morning,  sure  enough,  he  saddled  up  and  lead- 
ing his  horse  back  to  the  house,  said,  "Doc,  how  much  do  I  owe 
you?    For  the  extra-special  favors  for  me  and  my  horse?" 

"Well,  you  cowboys  have  a  pretty  hard  hfe,  have  to  work  hard 
for  your  money — guess  $25 '11  do  the  job;  although,  rightly,  boy, 
I  didn't  figure  on  chargin'  you  a  red  cent.  We've  all  enjoyed  hav- 
ing you  here,  even  if  we  do  have  a  tough  time  wondering  where 
the  next  grub'll  come  from.  Tain't  none  of  our  business  and  ain't 
idle  curiousity,  just  friendly  interest,  and  if  you're  not  sayin'  won't 
matter.  But  now  that  you're  leavin',  do  you  mind  tellin'  us  what 
outfit  you  work  for  generally?  Hope  it  ain't  too  far  away,  so 
we'll  be  seein'  you  again  soon." 

The  stranger  didn't  answer  for  a  moment  or  two — just  stuck  his 
hand  in  his  pocket  and  pulled  out  a  big  roll  of  money  and  handed 
the  doctor  several  hundred  dollar  bills.  Then  leading  his  horse, 
he  limped  over  and  sat  down  on  an  empty  nail  keg  nearby  and 
slowly  and  very  painstakingly  rolled  a  cigarette.  After  carefully 
scrutinizing  the  finished  job  he  lit  a  match  and,  looking  up  with 
that  engaging  smile  of  his,  said,  "Come  on  over  here,  you  boys, 
and  set  down.  I  want  to  tell  you  somethin'.  I  want  you  to  always 
remember  it.  I'll  tell  you  who  I  am — I'm  Bob  Dalton — just  a 
plumb  no-good  train  robber  and  outlaw,  and  I've  been  doin'  this 
fer  quite  a  spell;  but  mind  now,  I  ain't  advisin'  you  to  do  it.  Get 
what  you  get  honest.  Do  you  hear?  Honest,  get  it  honest. 
Somethin'  pretty  bad  happened  to  me  awhile  back,  and  for  the  life 
of  me  I  can't  seem  to  get  it  out  of  my  head.  All  the  time  I  been  a 
layin'  here  healin',  it  keeps  poppin'  up  and  troublin'  me.  My 
mother  was  on  a  stage  I  held  up — she  was  comin'  out  here  to  find 
me,  her  son,  'cause  she  couldn't  stand  me  never  writin'  and  her 
never  hearin'  or  knowin'  where  I  was.  So  after  the  holdup  I  rode 
into  Cheyenne  and  hunted  her  up.  Hadn't  seen  her  for  ten  years. 
She  had  no  way  a  knowin'  I  was  one  of  them  that  took  her  money 
and  scared  her  till  she  was  fit  to  be  tied.  She  was  terrible  upset. 
Tried  to  get  me  to  come  home  and  get  away  from  all  this  wicked 
country.  I  gave  her  money  and  sent  her  back  home  promisin'  I'd 
come  soon;  I  leave  her  think  I  was  doin'  good  and  earnin'  money — 
I  mean  earnin'  honest  money.  Boys,  I  lied  to  her  and  ain't  atall 
proud  that  I  had  to  tell  them  lies.  Boys,  don't  ever  do  nothin' 
that'll  keep  you  from  lookin  your  ma  in  the  eyes  and  knowin' 
you've  rightly  earned  that  proud  way  she  has  a  lookin'  at  you. 
It  ain't  good  for  a  fellow  to  have  to  lie  to  his  own  ma."  And 
stomping  his  cigarette  out  with  a  boot  heel  he  mounted  and  rode 
off  at  a  gallop,  waving  goodby,  as  he  disappeared  over  the  hill. 
And  the  Husons  never  saw  him  again.  Unconsciously  the  thought 
comes  to  our  minds — did  Arapahoe  Brown  have  anything  to  do 
with  this  episode?  It  is  known  that  he  had  "doings"  with  the 
James  Brothers — why  not,  maybe,  with  the  Dalton  Brothers,  too? 


THE    HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  181 

It's  an  intriguing  thought.    How  much  went  oft  in  the  Hole-in-the- 
Wall  that  will  forever  remain  a  part  of  its  weird  obscurity! 

Along  with  everything  else,  Arapahoe  did  considerable  prospect- 
ing for  gold.  By  now,  he  had  himself  a  dugout  up  on  Rock  Creek, 
which  served  as  a  headquarters  of  sorts.  Here  he  had  quite  a 
bunch  of  horses.  He  liked  this  Rock  Creek-French  Creek  country, 
and  spent  much  of  his  time  there,  in  between  prospecting  trips  into 
the  Big  Horns.  By  now  it  was  very  obvious  that  Brown  was  going 
to  get  himself  a  hunk  of  land.  He  was  on  friendly  terms  with  a 
Mowry  family  who  had  located  on  French  Creek.  Mowry  himself 
seemed  a  rather  indolent  sort,  preferring  to  go  hunting  and  pros- 
pecting rather  than  attend  to  the  improvement  of  his  land.  He 
left  all  the  hard  work  on  their  small  ranch  to  his  wife.  It  is  said 
she  dug  the  first  irrigation  ditch  on  Rock  Creek.  That  ditch  today 
is  still  called  the  Mowry  Ditch. 

One  day  Arapahoe  and  Mowry  took  off  on  a  hunting  trip. 
Mowry  was  never  seen  again.  Some  say  he  lies  buried  beneath  a 
man  made  pile  of  rocks  on  a  nearby  hill;  others  say  Brown  dis- 
posed of  him  high  on  the  Big  Horns.  Be  that  as  it  may,  it  is  known 
that  Brown  moved  in  with  Mrs.  Mowry  without  the  benefit  of 
clergy.  (In  those  days  they  sometimes  overlooked  little  formal- 
itites  like  getting  married.  After  a  year  or  two  he  apparently  tired 
of  this  arrangement,  so  removed  Mrs.  Mowry.  He  staked  her  to  a 
light  wagon  and  a  fine  matched,  roan  team  and  sufficient  money 
to  get  her  back  home  to  Indiana.  Not  too  long  after  her  reluctant 
departure  Mr.  Brown  drove  up  to  the  homestead  shack  with  the 
wagon  and  roan  team.  What  had  happened  to  Mrs.  Mowry  and 
her  son?  Who  knows.  One  old-timer  said  he  knew  a  fellow  who 
happened  by  the  Mowry  cabin  one  time  when  no  one  was  there. 
He  got  off  his  horse  and  sort  of  looked  around;  he  wasn't  snooping 
or  anything  like  that,  you  understand.  He  was  just  resting  up  a 
bit  and  a  funny  thing  happened,  a  right  upsetting  thing — his  dog 
got  to  sniffing  around  one  end  of  the  cabin  and  finally  began 
digging  at  a  great  rate.  Next  thing  the  man  knew  his  darned  dog 
was  chewing  on  a  kid's  skull.  He  became  so  frightened  he  put 
the  bone  back  under  the  house,  filled  up  the  hole  and  withdrew 
from  the  vicinity  immediately.  He  never  mentioned  this  incident 
until  long  after  Brown's  death.  Whether  his  imagination  got  out 
of  hand  or  not  is  not  known.  All  that  is  known  is  that  no  one 
ever  laid  eyes  on  Mrs.  Mowry  and  her  son  again. 

Rap  now  began  to  visualize  himself  as  dictator  over  the  Rock 
Creek  area.  One  time  an  old  cowhand  by  the  name  of  J.  W. 
Mooney,  working  for  a  big  outfit  south  of  Buffalo,  was  stacking 
hay  on  Lower  Rock  Creek,  where  choice  bluestem  grass  grew 
abundantly  on  the  rich  bottomland  draws  along  the  creek.  It  was 
open  country,  nobody  owned  the  land;  whoever  felt  most  ambitious 
at  the  right  time  used  the  grass  for  hay  and  hauled  it  in  for  saddle- 
horse  and  milkcow  feed.    Just  as  J.  Will  was  finishing  the  stacking 


182  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Arapahoe  rode  up,  as  usual  on  a  horse  that  seemed  much  too 
sHght  to  bear  his  weight,  and  said  that  that  hay  and  grass  was  his. 
"This  land's  mine  and  what's  on  it  is  mine."  J.  Will  got  his  rifle 
and  climbed  onto  the  stack,  at  first  thinking  he'd  battle  the  bully. 
Arapahoe  said  with  that  soft  voice  of  his,  "I'll  give  you  just  five 
minutes  to  get  off  that  stack  and  get  out  of  here."  After  looking 
into  Brown's  unblinking,  intense-gazing  eyes,  J.  Will  slowly 
climbed  down  off  the  stack,  got  his  team  in  gear  and  left  the 
premises.  Those  eyes  made  him  feel  that  a  stack  of  wild  hay  and 
the  work  of  stacking  it  was  hardly  worth  the  price  of  his  life;  for 
Arapahoe's  boast  was,  "I'll  fight  any  man,  fists  or  guns".  Like 
everybody  else,  J.  Will,  who  was  in  no  sense  of  the  word  a  coward, 
figured  that  Brown  was  a  man  it  didn't  pay  to  argue  with.  It  was 
just  common  sense  to  get  out  of  his  way  and  that  as  quickly  as 
reasonably  possible  under  the  circumstances. 

Then  along  comes  this  story  that  gives  yet  another  side  of  Mr. 
Brown.  An  eighteen  year  old  girl  had  arrived  on  the  scene  to  visit 
her  married  sister  who  lived  in  Johnson  County.  She  was  a  gay, 
young  thing,  pretty,  vivacious  and  a  talented  pianist.  She  was 
immediately  vitally  in  love  with  this  western  way  of  life.  She 
thought  it  great  fun  to  try  to  drive  a  team  and  ride  a  horse. 
Arapahoe  became  quite  interested  in  the  girl  and  used  to  spend 
many  evenings  with  the  family,  listening  to  her  piano  playing  which 
seemed  to  appeal  to  him  especially.  He  became  the  most  thought- 
ful of  neighbors.  Just  to  mention  "we  have  no  potatoes"  sent  him 
hurrying  home  to  bring  them  over  a  sack.  One  day  the  girl 
expressed  a  desire  for  a  saddle  horse  of  her  very  own,  one  she 
could  safely  ride;  for  then,  it  seemed,  a  horse  was  considered  broke 
if  he  was  ridden  once  across  the  corral.  She  was  afraid  of  her 
brother-in-law's  horses  and  hated  to  admit  it.  So  the  next  morning 
here  came  Arapahoe  leading  a  beautiful  horse,  a  deep  shiny 
brown  horse  with  a  white  star  in  his  forehead.  It  was  for  her,  he 
said,  and  one  she  could  safely  ride.  "Would  she  like  to  take  a 
little  ride  and  try  him  out?"  She  said  she  would,  so  he  "eared" 
the  horse  down  while  she  got  on  and  they  rode  off  down  the  valley 
as  nicely  as  you  please,  in  spite  of  the  girl's  fear  that  this  horse 
might  not  be  safe  either.  But  as  time  passed,  she  became  thrilled 
with  his  easy  gait  and  lively  beauty.  She  lost  her  fear  and  began 
to  thoroughly  enjoy  herself  and  the  lovely  day  and  the  "just  being 
outdoors".  She  even  felt  slightly  intrigued  having  this  big  man 
riding  by  her  side,  so  immense  and  yet  so  kind  and  gentle  and 
considerate  (she  thought). 

They  rode  down  a  pretty  little  lane  where  the  yellow  chaparral- 
berry  bushes  grew.  They  got  off  and  Arapahoe  picked  some  of 
the  bitter  little  berries  for  her  to  taste.  They  sat  in  the  shade  and 
talked  of  many  things.  After  awhile  he  took  a  sack  from  the  back 
of  his  saddle  and  carefully  laid  out  on  the  grass  little  tin  cans  of 


THE    HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  183 

food.  These  he  opened  and  gave  her  a  small  penknife  with  which 
to  eat  the  food  right  from  the  cans.  He  said  gently,  "See  how  long 
you  can  keep  this  knife,  my  dear.  I've  had  it  for  26  years,  and 
take  pleasure  in  giving  it  to  you  at  this  moment."  (So  she  kept 
the  small  knife  and  has  it  to  this  day,  cherished  all  these  years  as 
a  part  of  a  most  unusual  experience  in  her  young  girlhood). 

On  the  way  home  the  beautiful  brown  horse  ran  away  with  her, 
suddenly  and  with  no  real  reason;  not  maliciously,  but  gaily,  as 
if  he  could  no  longer  resist  the  temptation  of  fast  going.  She  was 
not  afraid  really.  She  said,  "I  felt  like  I  was  in  a  rocking  chair 
sailing  through  the  air,  so  easy  and  methodical  were  his  move- 
ments, but  the  swiftness  was  a  little  frightening,  for  I  did  not  know 
how  to  really  ride".  Mr.  Brown  was  all  apologies  for  the  horse 
having  run  away;  he  was  very,  very  sorry.  When  they  arrived 
home  that  afternoon,  he  picketed  the  horse  to  a  long  rope  and 
taught  her  how  to  go  up  the  rope  hand-over-hand,  slowly,  each 
day  and  offer  the  horse  sugarlumps.  That  way  he  would  come  to 
know  her,  he  said,  and  would  truly  be  her  very  own  horse.  But 
try  as  she  would,  she  could  never  tame  the.  big  brown  animal. 
Nor  could  anyone  else  do  it,  for  that  matter;  he'd  thrown  sky-high 
every  cowboy  who  got  on  his  back.  She  said  she  began  to  think 
Mr.  Brown  had  cast  some  sort  of  spell  over  the  animal  the  day  she 
rode  him  and  that  he  didn't  dare  to  buck  her  off.  He  had  cast 
some  slight  spell  over  her,  too,  for  in  spite  of  herself  she  was  quite 
impressed  with  his  courtly  manners,  poetic  speech,  and  flattering 
attention. 

Soon  Brown  called  again.  He  had  a  camping  trip  in  mind  and 
said  if  her  sister  would  act  as  chaperone  and  get  a  group  of  young 
folks  of  her  choosing  together,  he'd  take  them  all  to  the  mountains 
and  he'd  be  so  happy  to  furnish  everything  they'd  need,  tents, 
horses,  food  and  all.  He  said  he  had  a  special  camping  site  on 
Powder  River  on  top  of  the  Big  Horns  above  Barnum  and  Mayo- 
worth  which  would  be  a  rare  treat  for  them  all.  For  some  un- 
known reason,  perhaps  the  good  Lord  was  looking  down,  the 
camping  trip  failed  to  materialize. 

Several  weeks  later  the  girl  received  the  following  letter  with  the 
envelope  postmarked  Mayoworth,  Wyoming,  written  in  truly  beau- 
tiful handwriting  and  stating  clearly,  as  you  shall  see,  his  disap- 
pointment that  the  plans  for  the  camping  trip  had  fizzled  out. 

High  in  the  Mountains 
July   14th,   1899 
Dear  Friend, 

While  you  did  not  answer  me  in  the  affirmative  when  I  asked  you 
in  reference  to  the  anticipated  and  partly  arranged  trip  to  the  moun- 
tains I  am  prompted  to  write  you  in  reference  thereto.  If  you  will 
be  so  kind  as  to  drop  me  a  line  at  Mayoworth — I  shall  return  home 
via  Mayoworth  and  will  probably  remain  there  for  several  days. 


184  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Where  I  write  this  is  high  on  the  mountains — ^just  beside  a  big 
snowdrift  and  the  mosquitoes! 

Oh!  thou  cussed  Httle  fellow 

Blood-sucking  beast  of  prey 

With  your  fawning  wings  of  music 

Stop!  I'll  take  your  life  away. 

The  snow  is  in  abundance,  clinging  to 

the  crest  of  every  peak. 
Proud  soars  the  fearless  eagle  around 

the  frozen  crest. 
Low  mid  the  blooming  daisies,  the  turtle 

dove  builds  her  nest. 

I  have  met  an  old  acquaintance  and  friend — will  camp  with  him 
tonight.  He,  too,  is  prospecting  for  gold  and  silver.  I  probably  will 
lend  a  feeble  hand  for  a  short  time. 

It  is  a  beautiful  time  now  for  one  to  visit  the  mountains. 

There  are  flowers  round  about  me 

As  I  sit  beneath  the  hme 

Sweet  lovely  things  are 

Breathing  the  breath  of  olden  time. 

They  look  so  kindly  upward 

I  greet  them  as  my  friends 

And  my  mind  to  each  small  blossom 

Such  holy  beauty  lends. 

That — as  if  to  living  creatures 

Wherever  my  glance  may  fall 

On  the  bluebells  or  the  daisies 

I  say,  "God  bless  you  all." 

I  have  arranged  to  take  a  short  trip  to  the  "Springs".  Shall  prob- 
ably go  down  day  after  tomorrow.  There  are  a  great  many  people 
going  to  the  Springs^  now,  some  for  pleasure,  some  for  health,  some 
to  scatter  round  their  wealth. 

I  have  built  a  great  many  castles  in  the  air  about  our  anticipated 
trip  and  this  is  the  finest  locality  for  building  castles  you  ever  saw. 

In  the  regions  of  cloud 

Where  the  whirlwinds  arise 

My  Castle  of  Fancy  was  built 
•  The  turrets  reflect  the  blue  of 

the  skies 

The  windows  with  sunbeams  were  gilt. 

The  rainbow  sometimes  in  its 
beautiful  state 

Enamels  the  mansions  around. 

My  vision  of  fancy  that  the  clouds 
can  create 

Supplies  me  with  plenty  of  ground. 

I  have  canyons  and  gorges  and  pine- 
tree  groves. 

I  have  all  that  enchantment  has  told. 

Sweet  shady  walks  for  the  Gods  and 
their  loves, 

Mountains  of  silver  and  gold. 


1.  Probably  means  Thermopolis. 


THE    HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  185 

But  the  storm  that  I  felt  not,  has  arisen 
And  called,  while  wrapt  in  slumber  I  lay. 
And  when  I  looked  out  in  the  morning 
Behold!  my  castle  was  carried  away. 
It  passed  over  canyons,  over  gorges 

and  groves, 
The  world — it  was  all  in  my  view. 
I  thought  of  my  friends,  of  their  fates 

and  their  loves 
And,  full  often  of  you,  my  dear. 


Excuse  this  hasty  botch. 


Yours  in  kindness  and  friendship, 
Andrew  Brown. 


Soon  afterwards  the  girl  was  sent  unwillingly  back  east  to  her 
home.  Thus  ended  what  might  have  been  a  serious  romance,  or 
is  it  more  to  the  point  to  say  that  a  possible  tragedy  was  thus 
averted? 

As  Arapahoe's  herd  of  horses  grew  and  the  land  became  more 
settled  in  the  Rock  Creek  area,  he  enlarged  his  holdings  and  took 
up  a  homestead  on  lower  Powder  River,  about  12  miles  this  side  of 
Arvada,  Wyoming,  where  there  were  few  people  and  lots  of  room. 
He  now  built  himself  a  substantial  cabin  and  had  quite  a  comfort- 
able place. 

He  also  began  living  with  a  Mrs.  Sonny  (pronounced  Son-ni), 
"Old  Lady  Sonny"  she  was  called.  She  lived  in  the  northwest  end 
of  Buffalo  in  a  house  located  on  site  where  Emil  Hecht  now  lives. 
Her  husband  had  been  a  teamster  for  Fort  McKinney  while  it  was 
in  operation,  and  what  became  of  him  after  that,  nobody  knows. 
Brown  apparently  paid  her  bills,  although  there  was  no  marriage 
ceremony.  Maybe  he  just  wanted  a  place  to  stay  when  in  town 
and  have  someone  to  make  his  shirts — he  took  a  19-inch  neck  size 
which  was  hard  to  find  "store-made".  Old  Lady  Sonny  made  his 
shirts.  She  was  a  heavy  set,  elderly  looking,  rather  slovenly  appear- 
ing person,  but  she  had  a  pleasant,  friendly  way  about  her.  She 
loved  the  children  of  the  neighborhood  and  always  had  stick 
candy,  cookies  or  doughnuts  for  them  when  they  happened  by, 
which  was  often. 

As  he  grew  older  Rap  (as  he  was  now  called)  grew  bald  on  top. 
He'd  let  his  beard  grow,  too,  until  it  was  most  luxuriant.  It  was 
really  a  thing  of  beauty  (if  one  was  an  admirer  of  beards.) 

Rap  still  moved  around  a  lot — he'd  be  on  French  Creek,  then 
Powder  River,  then  Buffalo  and  probably  lots  of  other  places  no 
one  knew  about.  Glimpses  into  his  personality  are  shown  by 
incidents  related  by  various  old-timers  who  knew  him  by  sight. 

One  said,  "When  I  was  just  a  kid.  Old  Rap  stopped  at  our 
ranch  for  a  meal  one  day.  He  was  the  biggest  man  I  ever  saw — 
he  looked  simply  tremendous  to  me.  Gosh!  but  he  was  a  whopper! 
With  that  big  old  bald  head  and  great  big  hands.  It  was  fly  time 
and  the  flies  kept  lightin'  on  Rap's  bald  spot  and  crawlin'  around. 


Courtesy  Thelnia  G.  Condit 
Zindel  Saloon.     Zindle  is  standing  at  the  end  of  bar  with  hat  on.     Red 
Angus,  bartender,  stands  behind  the  bar.      (Early   1900's) 


Courtesy  Thelma  G.  Condit 
View  of  Zindel  Saloon,  one  of  the  most  famous  saloons  in  Wyoming 
in  the  early  days.     (Early   1890's) 


THE    HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  187 

He'd  haul  off  and  whop  himself  on  the  head,  a  blow  hard  enough 
to  kill  a  mule,  try  in'  to  kill  them  flies.  When  he  got  ready  to 
leave  before  gettin'  on  his  horse  he  tucked  his  long  beard  (it  came 
below  his  waist)  into  his  vest — he  always  wore  a  vest.  I  remember 
he  went  over  Basin  way  a  lot,  used  to  take  the  trail  through  Clear 
Creek  Pass  (that's  all  caved  in  now).  He'd  ride  it  in  a  day,  too. 
The  only  food  he  took  along  them  times  was  a  pocket  full  of 
peppermint  stick  candy.  What  was  he  doing  in  the  Basin?  Gosh! 
I  don't  know.  Nobody  knew  nothin'  for  sure  about  Rap  except 
he  was  a  surly  old  devil  and  everybody  was  half-scared  of  him." 

Another  time  Rap  stopped  at  a  homestead  shack  where  the 
woman  of  the  house  had  just  given  birth  to  her  first  son.  He  laid 
the  wee  babe  along  his  forearm  and  held  him  quite  awhile  looking 
intently  at  the  little  red-faced  squirming  thing,  then  said,  "This 
is  the  smallest  baby  I  ever  saw.  I  wonder  if  he'll  be  worth  his 
keep." 

Another  old-timer  said,  "Old  Arapahoe  Brown  sure  had  a 
reputation.  I  remember  when  I  was  just  a  small  boy  my  father 
and  I  went  past  Rap's  place.  We  was  goin'  for  a  load  of  apples. 
We  stopped  at  Rap's  for  dinner.  I  was  scared  plumb  silly.  I 
figured  he'd  shoot  you  on  sight.  Old  Nigger  Steve  was  cookin' 
for  Rap.  He  was  terrible  lookin'  to  me,  too,  cause  I'd  never  seen 
a  nigger  before.  They  both  was  nice  and  friendly,  but  I  was  too 
scared  to  eat.  Nigger  Steve  had  made  a  nice  pie  and  coaxed  me 
to  eat  a  piece  but  I  wouldn't  take  a  bit.  I  figgered  he  was  sure 
tryin'  to  poison  me.  I  knew  we  was  never  goin'  to  get  out  of 
there  alive." 

Rap  was  always  getting  arrested.  He  was  suspected  of  being  a 
horse  thief  among  other  things,  but  he  was  hard  to  pin  down, 
mainly  because  when  the  Sheriff  came  to  serve  the  papers  on  him 
he'd  not  only  tear  up  the  warrant  but  proceed  to  beat  up  the 
sheriff. 

When  Newt  Lane  was  sheriff  he  was  continually  having  trouble 
with  Rap.  Newt  was  a  "little  bit  of  a  sawed-off  fellow"  with  a 
crippled  hip,  which  caused  him  to  limp  badly.  He  was  just  an 
old  "stove-up"  cowboy  who  owned  a  little  cow  ranch  on  the  north 
side  of  Rock  Creek.  Once  when  he  was  attempting  to  arrest 
Brown,  Rap  yelled  at  him,  "I'll  tell  you  when  I  want  to  be  arrested" 
and  he  slapped  Newt  on  the  side  of  the  head.  Newt  hit  the  ground 
with  blood  spurting  out  of  his  nose.  Being  a  tough  little  guy  he 
promptly  got  up,  wiped  his  bleeding  nose  and  took  Rap  to  the 
courthouse  where  Rap  tore  up  the  warrant  and  walked  out.  And 
that  was  the  end  of  that. 

When  Red  Angus  was  tending  bar  in  the  Zindel  saloon.  Rap 
came  in  one  day  and  apparently  became  quarrelsome  over  drinks 
or  something.  Anyway,  Angus  refused  to  cooperate  in  the  matter, 
so  Rap  just  pulled  out  a  little  old  .32  pistol  and  shot  Red  through 
the  side  of  the  throat.     After  a  lot  of  coughing  and  spitting  and 


188  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

bending  and  twisting,  Angus  spit  out  the  bullet.  (It  was  a  sharp 
little  bullet  and  had  not  exploded  in  the  gun-chamber.)  Holding 
the  thing  in  his  hand  he  faced  Brown  across  the  bar  and  said, 
"That  was  a  very  ungentlemanly  act,  a  very  ungentlemanly  act, 
Mr.  Brown". 

When  anyone  sued  Rap,  he  immediately,  upon  being  informed 
of  the  fact,  found  and  beat  up  the  man  bringing  suit  and  then  rode 
into  Buffalo  and  whaled  his  lawyer,  too. 

This  story  is  told  about  a  certain  lawyer  who  was  representing 
one  of  his  clients  who  was  bringing  suit  against  Brown.  He  was  a 
frail,  rather  nervous  little  man.  A  friend  of  his  walked  into  his 
office  one  afternoon  and  saw  a  wicked  looking  gun  laying  on  the 
lawyer's  desk  pointing  straight  at  the  door.  He  jokingly  asked 
the  reason  for  the  display  of  firearms  and  the  lawyer  replied, 
"My  God!  man,  I  aim  to  use  that  gun  on  Arapahoe  Brown  the 
minute  he  sticks  his  head  in  that  door.  I'm  taking  no  chances, 
I  tell  you.  I'll  kill  him,  I'm  telling  you,  I'll  kill  him  outright  and 
first.'' 

But  Rap  didn't  show  up  that  day  at  all.  Next  morning  when 
the  lawyer's  wife  opened  the  front  door  there  was  a  long  cylindrical 
object  leaning  against  the  side  of  the  house.  When  she  started  out 
to  pick  it  up  her  husband  yelled,  "Woman,  don't  touch  that  thing — 
it's  a  bomb  Arapahoe  Browns  put  there  to  blow  us  to  eternity." 
He  had  the  object  removed  to  the  outskirts  of  town  where  it  was 
cautiously  unwrapped.  It  was  only  a  rug  his  wife  had  ordered 
from  Metcalf s  store. 

After  the  Johnson  County  Invasion,  a  couple  of  fellows,  Eric 
Bunton  and  Halabaugh  (don't  know  his  first  name)  drifted  into 
the  Hole-in-the-Wall.  Eric  was  just  a  skinny,  tow-headed  kid 
about  17  or  18  years  old,  innocent  enough  looking  so  no  one 
would  ever  suspect  that  he  was  one  of  the  worst,  most  hardened 
young  criminals  ever  to  hit  these  parts. 

Halabaugh  was  about  six  feet  tall,  slim  and  slightly  grey  at  the 
temples,  although  not  thought  to  be  really  very  old.  He  herded 
horses  for  Harmon  Fraker.  George  Fraker  said,  "Halabaugh  had 
a  lot  of  crooked  ideas,  although  he  was  a  nice  enough  fellow  to 
meet  and  know,  just  an  average  cowpuncher,  nothin'  extra  as  a 
hand". 

Halabaugh  and  the  kid  pulled  off  a  lot  of  shady  deals.  They'd 
run  sheep,  and  cattle  too,  from  the  big  outfits  on  top  of  the  Big 
Horns,  down  canyons,  and  pick  brands  off  the  wool  and  rebrand 
steers  to  sell  on  the  side. 

Then,  next  thing,  they  were  working  for  Arapahoe  Brown  in  a 
big  horse  stealing  deal.  Old  Rap  would  take  a  chance  on  anything 
if  he  figured  he  could  make  some  money,  but  this  partnership  bus- 
iness proved  to  be  his  "Waterloo".  All  the  time  Bunton  and 
Halabaugh  were  sUpping  little  bunches  of  Rap's  horses  away  from 
the  rest  and  selling  them  over  in  South  Dakota.     The  three  men 


THE    HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  189 

were  back  and  forth  from  Powder  River  to  French  Creek  and  no 
one  thought  too  much  about  what  was  going  on.  But  horse 
stealing  was  getting  pretty  tame  for  restless  men  and  bank  robbing 
was  about  passe,  so  the  two  outsiders  persuaded  Rap  to  go  into  a 
counterfeiting  racket  with  them.  He  was  in  for  anything  profit- 
able, so  they  began  laying  the  groundwork  for  the  proposed  setup 
down  at  the  Powder  River  place,  since  it  was  isolated  and  most 
suited  for  the  project. 

The  two  fellows  dug  a  tunnel  from  the  cabin  to  a  good  sized 
cave  in  a  bank  about  100  yards  from  the  buildings.  Also  they 
made  a  cellar  under  the  house  which  connected  with  the  tunnel, 
thus  making  an  underground  passage  from  the  cabin  to  the  cave. 
Also  they  made  several  other  "dugout  cabins"  of  varying  sizes  in 
several  places  round  about.  Eric  and  Halabaugh  did  the  manual 
labor  and  Rap  was  to  supply  the  necessary  machinery  (whatever 
it  took). 

After  all  the  digging  was  done,  Rap  still  hadn't  fulfilled  his  part 
of  the  deal.  Weeks  passed  by  and  still  no  "printing  machine". 
Maybe  he  "smelled  a  rat"  and  was  stalling  a  bit  to  sort  of  think 
it  over  some  more. 

Finally  his  partners,  like  all  petty  criminals,  got  impatient  with 
this  prolonged  stalling  around  and  gave  Rap  a  deadline  of  just 
two  weeks  to  get  the  stuff  there.  They  were  also  become  some- 
what mistrustful — suppose  Old  Rap  was  planning  to  doublecross 
them?  He  knew  enough  about  them  to  send  them  both  "over  the 
road"  for  keeps.  If  the  truth  were  known,  they  were  secretly 
afraid  of  the  man.  They  felt  that  here  was  a  fellow  who  was  just 
a  little  too  much  for  them  to  handle.  They  just  couldn't  quite 
figure  him  out. 

So,  conforming  perfectly  with  the  type  of  lawless  thinking  char- 
acteristic of  such  renegades,  they  decided  the  best  thing  to  be 
done  under  the  circumstances  was  to  get  rid  of  Rap,  for  good. 
After  all,  he  did  own  some  good  land  and  had  a  sizable  bunch  of 
horses  which  they  could  easily  appropriate.  Maybe  they'd  get 
the  land,  too,  if  they  worked  it  smart. 

They  planned  it  all  very  carefully  and  foolproof,  they  thought. 
For  days  they  grubbed  sagebrush  and  started  little  fires  here  and 
there  so  the  air  round  about  would  have  the  "sagebrush  burning" 
smell.  Then  they  stacked  some  of  it  close  to  the  big  woodpile 
not  far  from  the  cabin.  They  also  replenished  the  woodpile 
itself  with  everything  in  the  way  of  wood  and  brush  they  could 
lay  their  hands  on. 

A  day  or  two  afterwards  Rap  showed  up  about  suppertime, 
presumably  in  a  right  jovial  mood.  They  got  supper  ready  and 
Rap  ate  heartily,  too  heartily  it  seemed  to  his  companions,  who  had 
little  appetite.  He  appeared  to  purposely  prolong  the  meal. 
When  the  dishes  were  done  Rap  got  out  a  Montgomery  Ward 
catalog  and  sat  down  at  the  table  and  began  thumbing  through 


190  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

the  pages.  The  three  talked  of  everything  except  the  thing  that 
was  uppermost  in  their  minds.  Bunton  seemed  restless;  he  kept 
going  to  the  open  doorway,  leaning  against  one  side  and  putting 
one  foot  up  on  the  other  side.  Finally  Halabaugh  went  over  to 
the  bunk  along  the  side  of  the  wall,  pulled  off  his  boots  and 
stretched  out  flat  on  his  back  with  his  arms  folded  under  his  head. 
Old  Rap  was  still  sitting  at  the  table  picking  his  teeth  and  thumbing 
through  the  catalog.  Finally  Bunton  rolling  a  cigarette  and  look- 
ing outside,  said,  "Guess  I'll  see  what  them  horses  'er  doing. 
Seems  like  that  one  you  rode  in  ain't  happy  about  somethin'. 
Reckon  anything's  botherin'  around." 

"No,  there  ain't  nothin'  around",  said  Halabaugh,  "or  them 
dogs  would  be  notifyin'  us."  Rap  said  nothing  at  all,  just  went  on 
looking  at  the  catalog. 

Suddenly  a  rifle  shot  rang  out,  and  shattered  window  glass  fell 
in  pieces  on  the  floor.  Old  Rap  grabbed  his  chest  mumbling, 
unbelievingly,  "My  God,  boys,  I'm  shot".  He  tried  to  get  up  and 
get  his  gun  which  stood  by  the  door,  but  couldn't  make  it — just 
fell  full  length  face  down  on  the  floor  and  bled  to  death.  Bunton 
had  fixed  him,  for  good. 

Next  the  criminals  tied  his  feet  together  with  a  rope  and  dragged 
him  to  the  door  where  they  wrapped  the  other  end  of  the  rope 
to  the  saddlehorn  and  "snaked"  him  over  to  the  woodpile.  Before 
placing  him  on  top,  they  maliciously  beat  out  his  brains  with  a 
grubbing  hoe.  This  last,  probably,  in  wrathful  hate,  because  he 
had  forced  them  to  get  rid  of  him.  Stubborn,  shrewd  old  fool, 
he  should  have  cooperated  and  they  wouldn't  have  had  to  do  this. 

They  covered  his  body  with  wood  and  sagebrush  and  started  a 
rip-roaring  fire,  which  they  kept  going  for  days.  They  replenished 
it  as  needed  with  anything  handy  that  was  burnable  and  "smelly". 

In  a  day  or  two  Halabaugh  rode  into  Buffalo  and  bought  a 
window  glass  and  considerable  rifle  ammunition.  When  he  re- 
turned they  worked  franticly  fixing  everything  up  on  the  Powder 
River  place  to  make  it  look  normal  and  as  if  nothing  out-of-the- 
way  had  happened.  They  rounded  up  his  horses,  ready  to  take 
off  for  South  Dakota.  They  also  went  to  the  French  Creek  place 
and  appropriated  whatever  they  desired  of  Rap's  personal  pos- 
sessions. They  told  anyone  who  happened  to  inquire  about  Rap 
that  he'd  gone  over  Basin  way  for  a  week  or  so,  and  no  suspicions 
whatever  were  raised. 

But  as  time  went  on  and  neither  Rap  nor  his  partners  showed 
up,  Kennedy,  the  sheriff,  thought  maybe  he'd  ride  out  to  French 
Creek  and  sort  of  check  up.  Finding  nothing  there  showing  signs 
of  recent  occupation,  he  decided  to  go  to  Powder  River  and  have 
a  look  around.  He  took  a  couple  of  fellows  with  him  just  for 
company.  This  place,  too,  showed  nothing  out-of-the-way.  It 
didn't  look  like  anybody'd  been  around  much  lately,  though,  which 
was  rather  queer.     They  were  about  to  ride  off  when  one  man 


THE    HOLE-IN-THE-WALL  191 

decided  to  see  why  there  was  such  a  big  pile  of  ashes  in  that  one 
particular  place.  It  looked  rather  odd.  Upon  closer  scrutiny  they 
could  plainly  see  the  outline  of  a  man's  body.  There  was  a  row 
of  buttons  in  the  ashes  and  the  distinct  imprint  of  a  long  body. 
Poking  around  with  a  stick  they  found  a  human  jawbone  with  the 
teeth  still  in  it  and  several  other  human  bones.  Grabbing  a  tarp 
off  the  bunk  in  the  cabin,  they  quickly  gathered  up  the  buttons 
and  bones  and  hastened  to  Buffalo  to  report  their  gruesome  find. 

Old  Rap's  bones  caused  a  lot  of  excitement  in  town.  J.  A. 
Jones  was  undertaker  at  the  time.  (These  events  took  place  in 
1901.)  Flatrock  Jones  he  was  called,  because  he  was  tight 
with  his  money.  He  was  a  short,  rather  heavy-set  man  with 
a  big  mustache.  He  ran  a  saloon  (its  location  where  Seney's 
Drug  store  now  is),  not  a  fancy  saloon  like  Zindel's  up  the 
street;  just  a  common,  run-of-the-mill  place  where  the  drunkest 
drunks  held  sway.  Flatrock  had  his  "funeral  parlor"  in  the 
rear  of  the  saloon.  This  served  more  than  one  purpose,  for 
whenever  a  man  got  too  inebriated,  all  Flatrock  had  to  do  was 
lead  him  into  the  back  room  and  leave  him  a  minute  or  two. 
Upon  finding  himself  surrounded  with  coffins,  and  once  in  awhile 
one  with  a  corpse  in  it,  he  immediately  remembered  he  had  rushing 
business  to  be  attended  to  elsewhere,  anywhere  in  fact,  but  here, 
and  he  usually  departed  "dead  sober",  too.  This  was  an  ideal 
setup  for  Jones  for  he  could  handle  his  two  businesses  himself 
this  way.  He  had  sort  of  a  grudge  against  his  predecessor  in  the 
undertaking  business  anyway,  for  when  he'd  bought  it  he  was 
made  to  clearly  understand  it  was  a  thriving  thing.  Flatrock, 
himself,  felt  like  the  price  was  much  too  high.  However,  he  was 
assured  that  there  were  three  men  about  to  die  and  he'd  more 
than  double  his  money  right  away.  "These  fellows  were  good, 
payin'  customers,  one  a  man  could  depend  on  to  pay  right  up." 
But  just  as  Jones  had  suspected  all  along,  he  had  been  swindled, 
against  his  better  judgment,  too,  for  one  man  got  well,  the  second 
went  to  Sheridan  to  die  and  the  third  just  up  and  left  the  country. 

Flatrock  had  Rap's  bones  lying  in  state  in  the  funeral  parlor 
back  of  the  saloon.  Everybody  for  miles  around  had  to  come  in 
to  look  at  them.  Flatrock  had  a  really  thriving  saloon  business, 
for  nearly  every  man  had  to  fortify  himself  with  a  little  snort  in 
order  to  sort  of  calm  himself  down  and  talk  about  this  murder 
sensibly.  It  was  kind  of  a  spooky  subject,  the  more  one  thought 
about  it. 

One  old-timer  told  me,  "In  those  days,  by  gum,  a  kid  just 
didn't  get  in  a  saloon,  but  Old  Flatrock  let  me  and  some  other 
boys  in  to  see  Rap's  bones.  Had  'em  in  a  baby  casket.  We  was 
plumb  flabbergasted  to  think  them  bones  was  all  that  was  left  of 
big  old  Rap  Brown.  I'll  never  forget  the  coffins  stacked  on  the 
sides  of  that  room.  Didn't  take  us  kids  long  to  see  what  we  wanted 
to  see." 


192  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

In  a  month  or  so  Halabaugh  came  back  to  the  French  Creek 
place.  He  had  a  beard  now  and  either  thought  he  wouldn't  be 
recognized  or  that  he  had  committed  "the  perfect  crime."  One 
day  he  walked  into  the  Zindel  saloon  and  wanted  to  sell  the  bar- 
tender a  watch,  or  at  least  put  it  up  for  some  whiskey.  While 
the  bartender  was  examining  the  watch  preparatory  to  making  up 
his  mind,  a  fellow  standing  at  the  end  of  the  bar,  presumably 
scanning  through  the  weekly  newspaper,  happened  to  get  a  good 
look  at  the  watch.  He  knew  at  once  it  belonged  to  Arapahoe 
Brown,  a  fine  gold  watch  with  A.  B.  engraved  in  large  letters  on 
the  side.  He  also  recognized  the  man  as  Halabaugh.  Very  non- 
chalantly he  laid  down  the  newspaper  and  sauntered  out,  sheriff- 
bound. 

Both  outlaws  were  later  apprehended  on  the  French  Creek  place 
and  put  in  jail,  and  both  eventually  confessed.  The  trial  was  a 
lengthy  one  and  popular  opinion  ran  high.  A  lot  of  folks  felt 
sorry  for  the  kid,  Eric,  being  so  young  and  guileless-looking. 
They  just  knew  he'd  been  led  astray  by  Halabaugh  (who  actually 
wasn't  as  old  as  he  looked).  A  Dr.  Allen,  a  dentist  in  Billings, 
identified  the  teeth  in  the  jawbone  as  Andrew  Brown's  after  careful 
comparison  with  his  office  records.  Both  murderers  were  sen- 
tenced to  a  stretch  in  the  pen,  but  they  were  soon  pardoned  upon 
promise  of  leaving  the  state. 

Eric's  mother  came  to  Buffalo  and  tried  hard  to  get  her  son  out 
of  the  mess  he  was  in.  She  wept  and  pleaded  (and  she  was  a 
pretty,  dainty,  little  blue-eyed  woman)  but  neither  her  tears  nor 
her  imploratory  outbursts  softened  the  hearts  of  the  court  officials. 
The  judge  said  bluntly,  "Madam,  when  a  jury  finds  a  man  guilty, 
I  let  it  alone."  One  of  the  lawyers  said  later,  "They  should  have 
turned  those  fellows  loose  and  given  them  a  silver  medal  a  piece 
for  killing  that  old  devil."  Another  lawyer  said  that  "Halabaugh 
seemed  like  a  saint  compared  to  that  kid,  who  sat  through  the 
whole  trial  mighty  cool  and  cold-blooded.  The  only  thing  that 
kept  them  both  from  hanging  was  the  fact  that  the  man  they'd 
killed  needed  kilhng.  For  if  ever  there  was  a  cold-blooded 
murder,  this  was  it." 

There  is  a  saying  that  people  have  a  way  of  forgiving  a  man 
when  he's  dead,  but  this  didn't  hold  true  in  the  case  of  Andrew 
Brown.  "He'd  led  a  violent  life  and  died  a  violent  death"  and  by 
a  peculiar  twist  of  fate  had,  in  the  minds  of  most  people,  made 
just  retribution  for  his  evilness.  Powerful  though  he  was,  he  had 
not  been  able  to  foresee  the  handwriting  on  the  wall  nor  anticipate 
this  date  with  destiny. 

"The  storm  that  Jie  felt  not,  had  truly 
arisen  and  carried  his  castle  away." 


Ore00n  Zrall  Zrek  J^o.  Seven 

Seventh  Trek  across  Wyoming  Directed  by 
L.  C.  BISHOP       and       ALBERT  SIMS 

Compiled  by 
Maurine  Carley,  Trek  Historian 

July  4,  5  and  6,  1956 
Caravan:   40  participants 14  cars 

OFFICERS 

W.  R.  Bradley  of  Highway  Patrol Captain 

Frank  Murphy... Wagon  Boss 

Jules  Farlow Assistant  Wagon  Boss 

Francis  Tanner Assistant  Wagon  Boss 

Lyle  Hildebrand Chief  Guide 

Joe  Bagley Assistant  Guide 

Julius  Luoma... Assistant  Guide 

Maurine  Carley.... _ Historian 

Pierre  (Pete)  LaBonte,  Jr .Photographer 

John  B.  Franks,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey. __.  Topographer 

Paul  H.  Scherbel Assistant  Topographer 

Mrs.  L.  C.  Bishop.... Chaplain 

Elizabeth  Hildebrand Chief  Cooks 

Helen  Tanner 

Wednesday  —  July  4 

Joe  Bagley  -  Guide 

The  party  gathered  on  the  evening  of  July  3  at  South  Pass  City 
where  it  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodring.  The 
next  morning  hot  coffee  was  served  at  6:30  on  the  hotel  porch 
for  the  early  risers.  After  a  substantial  breakfast  the  party  left 
for  Pacific  Springs  on  the  seventh  Oregon  Trail  Trek  across 
Wyoming. 

NOTE:  Numbers  preceding  "M"  equal  approximate  miles  from 
the  east  boundary  of  Wyoming. 
8:15  A.M.    Assembled  al  Pacific  Springs.    313  M. 

Prayer  by  Mrs.  L.  C.  Bishop 

"Dear  Lord- 
As  we  gather  at  this  historical  spot  on  this  historic  day,  we  are 


Ore  GO  J^  T^AiL 

TT^J-A-  A/o.  7 


,^    "T^E/K  A/o.  7 


/■*HncfiO€i/  /f^/^frntfr/on  on  fhii  sketch 

Soi/f-A  ^ss'  //bj7ei^  Lak«  ^a^on  /^ood 
/^a/m   Sy  /T/V  L  anefer-  /8S  7  -Sd. 
Sca/e:    /"m/2J/ni 


jL.c.e 


OREGON   TRAIL   TREK   NO.    SEVEN  195 

reminded  of  the  moral  and  physical  courage  of  our  early  pioneers. 
We  are  grateful  to  them  for  the  part  they  took  in  opening  up  the 
travelways  to  the  new  frontiers.  Knowing,  as  we  do,  of  their 
strength  and  fortitude  in  privation  and  danger,  it  should  inspire  us 
all  to  rededicate  ourselves  to  the  preservation  of  our  heritage,  so 
that  each  one  of  us  will,  in  thought  and  deed,  uphold  the  wonder- 
ful way  of  life  those  pioneers  sacrificed  in  ways  to  preserve. 

Dear  Lord,  we  thank  Thee  for  the  many  blessings  of  this  land 
and  may  we,  as  Thy  children,  prove  true  to  Thy  teachings.    Amen" 

Joseph  L.  Bagley  related  the  following  short  account  of  Pacific 
Springs. 

"Pacific  Springs  was  known  by  the  early  emigrants  as  Bog 
Creek.  About  1840  it  received  the  name  of  Pacific  Springs  and 
the  stream  became  known  as  Pacific  Creek.  It  was  a  very  famous 
camping  place  of  the  emigrants  for  it  furnished  excellent  water 
and  grass. 

"About  1861  a  Pony  Express  Station  was  established,  which 
later  became  a  stage  station.  With  the  settlement  of  South  Pass 
it  was  a  stage  station  between  the  railroad  and  South  Pass. 

"The  buildings  now  located  here  are  on  the  Old  Emigrant  Road 
and  were  built  by  Halter  and  Flick.  A  store  and  saloon  were 
also  built  here  about  1880  and  used  by  them  until  1925." 

As  the  old  trail  was  fenced  here  we  could  not  enter  it  until  we 
came  to  Pacific  Creek.  315.8  M.  When  we  crossed  the  highway 
at  320  M.  we  found  a  marker  inscribed  -  THE  OREGON  TRAIL 
IN  MEMORY  OF  THOSE  WHO  PASSED  THIS  WAY  TO 
WIN  AND  HOLD  THE  WEST. 

8 :45  A.M.  Stopped  at  the  new  Parting  of  the  Ways  Monument. 
Mr.  Bishop  explained  that  the  monument  should  be  about  nine 
miles  farther  west.  Eight  old  diaries  were  checked  for  this  infor- 
mation. The  old  road  that  branches  to  the  left  here  was  really 
an  old  stage  road  from  South  Pass  City  to  the  railroad. 

At  this  point  Mr.  Jules  Farlow  told  about  the  blizzard  of  1S83 
in  this  part  of  the  country.  This  was  taken  from  a  story  of  pio- 
neers caught  in  the  storm  between  South  Pass,  Big  Sandy  and 
Green  River  as  recorded  by  Peter  Sherlock. 

"On  January  31,  1883,  a  young  stage  driver  from  Texas  by  the 
name  of  George  Ryder  left  South  Pass  City  with  two  passengers — 
Maggie  Sherlock  and  W.  J.  Stewart  for  Pacific  Springs  Stage  Sta- 
tion twelve  miles  away.  Snow  was  falling  and  the  wind  was  strong 
but  Stewart  staked  the  road  so  they  arrived  safely  at  the  station. 

"In  spite  of  serious  protests  the  horses  were  changed  and  Ryder 
and  Miss  Sherlock  continued  on  toward  Dry  Sandy  Stage  Station 
eleven  miles  farther,  although  it  was  almost  dark.  After  traveling 
several  miles,  apparently  in  a  circle,  the  team  played  out  and 


196 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Courtesy  Pierre  La  Bonte,  Jr. 

At  Pacific  Springs  July  4,  1956,  starting  Trek  #   7. 

Standing  left  to  right:  Henry  Jorzick,  Albert  Sims,  R.  A.  Eklund,  J.  B. 
Franks,  Jr.,  Mrs.  L.  C.  Bishop,  Mrs.  Bruce  McKinstry,  Mrs.  W.  R.  Bradley, 
Mrs.  J.  B.  Franks,  Bruce  McKinstry,  Mrs.  Razzari,  Ann  Russell,  Mrs. 
George  Christopulos,  Georg  Christopulos,  L.  O.  Wack,  L.  C.  Bishop.  Sec- 
ond row,  left  to  right:  J.  B.  Franks,  Maurine  Carley,  Joe  Bagley,  Col. 
W.  R.  Bradley,  Elizabeth  Hildebrand,  Frank  Murphy,  Lyle  Hildebrand. 
Third  row:  Elaine  Christopulos,  Louis  Christopulos,  Geneva  Hildebrand, 
Adrianne  Christopulos,  Ann  Hildebrand,  Freddie  Hildebrand. 


Stopped  in  a  draw.  Ryder  and  Maggie  mounted  the  horses  but 
soon  reahzed  they  would  become  hopelessly  lost  so  returned  to 
the  sled  where  Maggie  remained. 

"The  next  day  Ryder  again  set  out  in  an  heroic  attempt  to  find 
help  as  they  were  both  badly  frozen.  He  reached  Dry  Sandy 
Station  and  told  the  stock-tender,  John  Thorn,  where  to  find 
Maggie.  Mr.  Thorn  soon  brought  her  to  his  home  where  Mrs. 
Thorn  cared  for  her.  On  his  way  from  Green  River  to  Fort 
Washakie  Reverend  Roberts  stopped  over  and  also  helped  care  for 
both  Maggie  and  Ryder,  but  Mr.  Ryder  died  three  days  later. 

"On  January  30th  another  stage  left  Big  Sandy  about  dark  for 
South  Pass  with  a  man  named  Scott  as  driver  and  Wm.  V.  Clark, 
a  Lander  rancher,  as  passenger.  They  were  lost  all  night  but 
arrived  next  day  at  Pacific  Springs  about  noon.  Superintendent 
Stewart  insisted  on  going  on  to  South  Pass  with  them  as  he  had 
staked  the  road  the  day  before.  The  team  struggled  against  the 
blizzard  for  eight  miles  to  Fish  Creek  which  was  about  four, miles 


OREGON   TRAIL   TREK   NO.    SEVEN  197 

from  South  Pass  but  finally  refused  to  face  the  storm.    Night  came 
on  and  the  inky  darkness  added  to  the  horror  of  the  situation. 

"They  unharnessed  the  horses  and  turned  them  loose,  deciding 
to  go  back  with  the  wind  to  Pacific  Springs.  For  a  time  two  men 
remained  at  a  stake  while  the  other  went  ahead  to  the  next  stake, 
but  they  soon  gave  that  up  and  decided  each  man  for  himself. 
Stewart  was  left  behind  because  of  his  heavy  buffalo  overcoat. 
None  of  the  three  reached  Pacific  Springs. 

"On  February  2,  after  the  storm  was  over,  Joe  Johnson,  stock- 
tender  at  Pacific  Springs,  started  out  on  foot  for  South  Pass.  On 
the  divide  between  Pacific  Springs  and  Sweetwater,  he  found  the 
frozen  body  of  driver  Scott.  Loyal  Manning,  also  employed  at 
the  Station  walked  out,  saw  tracks  in  the  snow  so  followed  them 
to  the  bottom  of  a  gulch  where  he  found  Stewart  almost  in  an 
unconscious  condition  buried  in  the  snow.  Manning  revived  him 
and  was  able  to  get  him  to  Pacific  Springs.  His  feet  and  hands 
were  badly  frozen. 

"Mr.  Clark  perished  about  a  mile  from  where  they  left  the  team. 
His  body  was  found  several  weeks  later  when  the  snow  melted. 

"On  February  1 1  James  Smith,  Maggie  Sherlock's  stepfather, 
brought  her  to  South  Pass  where  she  died  February  21st.  Mr. 
Stewart  lost  both  hands,  portions  of  both  feet,  his  nose  and  both 
ears. 

"Another  stage  left  Big  Sandy  for  Green  River  on  January  31st 
with  Al  Dougherty  as  driver.  Hopelessly  lost,  he  unhitched  the 
horses  and  spent  the  entire  night  driving  them  around  a  bunch  of 
brush  to  keep  ahve.  When  light  came  he  realized  that  he  must 
find  help  soon  if  he  wanted  to  live,  so  clumsily  tying  the  traces 
to  a  heavy  belt  he  was  wearing  he  let  the  horses  practically  drag 
him  as  he  fell  and  struggled  thru  the  snow,  back  to  Big  Sandy 
Station. 

"Mr.  Dougherty  had  one  foot  amputated  above  the  ankle  and 
the  other  at  the  instep.  He  also  lost  portions  of  fingers  on  both 
hands.  He  hved  many  years  in  the  Lander  Valley  where  he  was 
known  as  Peg  Dougherty. 

"Old  timers  claim  the  blizzard  of  1883  was  the  worst  they  ever 
had.  Three  men  and  one  woman  froze  to  death  and  two  men 
were  crippled  for  life. 

The  stage  road  in  those  days  followed  the  Oregon  Trail  for  some 
distance." 

9 :00  A.M.    Departed  320  M. 

9:10  A.M.  Stopped  at  323  M.  to  point  out  hill  and  table  for- 
mation on  the  left  as  sketched  in^the  Bruff  Diary  of  1849. 

9:45  A.M.  Arrived  330  M.  at  the  correct  Parting  of  the  Ways. 
In  the  early  days  the  emigrants  decided  which  trail  they  would 
take  from  this  point.    A  tall  stick  was  braced  by  a  pile  of  rocks 


198  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

at  the  fork  of  the  road.  Each  passing  company  left  messages  and 
words  of  advice  fastened  on  the  stick.  The  right  road  led  to  Fort 
Hall  and  the  left  one  to  Fort  Bridger. 

Joseph  Bagley  explained  the  Sublette  Cut-off. 

"The  trails  forked  at  this  point,  five  and  one  half  miles  west  of 
Dry  Sandy.  This  trail  to  the  right  was  established  by  Caleb 
Greenwood  in  1844  when  he  guided  the  Stevens-Townsend-Mur- 
phy  party  to  California  by  way  of  Fort  Hall.  It  was  also  called 
the  Sublette  Cut-Off  by  some  emigrants. 

There  are  several  trails  that  were  used,  but  this  trail  to  the 
right  was  the  main  one.  It  crossed  the  Little  Sandy  three  miles 
west  of  this  point  and  then  followed  west  across  Big  Sandy.  The 
Sublette  Trail  was  about  eight  miles  north  and  crossed  the  Green 
River  near  the  mouth  of  Labarge  Creek.  It  was  a  pack  trail  only 
and  not  used  by  the  emigrants  with  any  success  as  it  crossed  over 
the  mountains  north  of  the  Oregon  Trail  route." 

In  1920  Mr.  Bagley  traveled  the  old  Mormon  road  with  his 
father  who  had  told  him  of  the  different  trails.  His  father  crossed 
with  the  Mormons  in  1848  and  again  with  Ezra  Meeker  in  1914 
when  the  first  Oregon  Trail  markers  were  placed  by  that  gen- 
tleman. 

Mr.  Bishop  and  Mr.  McKinstry  placed  a  rock  twelve  by  four- 
teen inches  at  the  Parting  of  the  Ways.     It  was  marked 


Fort  Bridger 


■>> 


Sublette  Cut-off 

They  then  piled  rocks  around  the  stone. 

10:15  A.M.    Departed  left  on  the  Mormon  Trail. 
10:50  A.M.    Arrived  at  Little  Sandy  Creek  334  M. 

Mr.  Bishop  read  excerpts  from  several  diaries  which  told  about 
the  Little  and  Big  Sandy  Crossings.  These  had  been  collected  by 
Mr.  W.  W.  Morrison. 

From  the  Joel  Palmer  Diary — 1845 

"July  20.  This  day  we  traveled  about  13  miles  to  Big  Sandy. 
The  road  was  over  a  level  sandy  plain  covered  with  wild  sage.  At 
Little  Sandy  the  road  forks,  one  taking  to  the  right  and  striking 
Big  Sandy  in  six  miles,  and  thence  40  miles  to  Green  River, 
striking  the  latter  some  thirty  or  forty  miles  above  the  lower  ford, 
and  thence  to  Big  Bear  River  striking  it  about  fifteen  miles  below 
the  old  road. 

By  taking  the  trail  two  and  a  half  days  travel  may  be  saved,  but 


OREGON   TRAIL   TREK   NO.    SEVEN  199 

in  the  40  miles  between  Big  Sandy  and  Green  River  there  is  no 
water,  and  but  httle  grass.  The  left  hand  trail,  which  we  took 
twelve  miles  from  Little  Sandy  strikes  the  Big  Sandy,  follows  down 
it  and  strikes  the  Green  River  above  the  mouth  of  Big  Sandy." 

From  History  of  Utah — Whitney — 1847 

"In  the  forenoon  of  June  28th,  the  Pioneers  arrived  at  a  point 
where  the  Oregon  and  California  roads  diverged.  Taking  the 
latter,  or  left  hand  route,  they  crossed  the  Little  Sandy,  and  that 
evening  met  Col.  James  Bridger,  of  Bridger's  Fort,  accompanied 
by  two  of  his  men.    They  were  on  their  way  to  Fort  Laramie." 

From  Geiger  and  Bryarly  Diary — 1849 

"Sat.  June  20.  We  nooned  3  hours  on  Little  Sandy  and  rolled 
on  6  miles  to  Big  Sandy.  Five  miles  before  you  come  to  Little 
Sandy  there  is  a  road  which  takes  off  to  the  left,  which  is  the 
Mormon  road  striking  the  old  trail  some  distance  down.  At  the 
Little  Sandy  the  old  trail  takes  off,  but  few  have  traveled  it  this 
spring,  those  going  the  old  trail  taking  the  upper  road.  Nearly 
all  the  emigrants,  however,  have  gone  Sublette's  cut-off  which 
commences  at  the  Little  Sandy." 

From  the  Sieber  Diary — 1851 

"The  scarcity  of  wood,  grass  and  water,  and  more  particularly 
the  abundance  of  alkali,  induced  us  to  leave  and  drive  during  part 
of  the  night  in  order  to  reach  Little  Sandy  which  we  came  to  in 
seven  and  three  quarter  miles  after  we  passed  the  junction  of  the 
California  and  Oregon  roads.  It  was  1 1  PM  when  we  got  to  the 
Little  Sandy,  having  traveled  in  all,  since  morning  30  miles." 

From  John  Tucker  Scott  Diary — 1852 

"July  7.  The  distance  traveled  today  is  twenty-two  miles,  and 
the  course  of  the  day's  journey  is  southwest.  Near  the  crossing 
of  the  Little  Sandy  the  road  forks.  The  right  fork  which  is  Sub- 
lettes  cut  off  bears  westward  to  Big  Sandy  eight  miles.  Thence  on 
to  Green  River  thirty  five  miles  where  the  road  again  forks,  one 
of  the  latter  forks  going  westward  to  Ham's  Fork  of  Black  Creek 
of  Green  River,  thence  to  Smith's  Fork  to  Fort  Bridger." 

From  Emily  McMillen  Diary — 1852 

"Aug.  2.  Mon.  Today  we  left  the  Springs  for  a  long  pull  of 
twenty-four  miles  to  Little  Sandy  Creek. 

"Crossed  Dry  Creek,  but  it  contained  no  good  water,  and  we 
made  the  whole  distance  without  any. 

"Soon  after  we  started  we  met  a  pack  train  from  California  on 
their  way  home.    Came  about  noon  to  the  forks  of  the  old  Oregon 


200  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  Salt  Lake  road.    Took  the  road  to  Salt  Lake  with  the  intention 
of  going  by  Kinney's  cut-off  to  avoid  desert. 

"Reached  Little  Sandy  a  little  before  sunset.  Found  plenty  of 
good  water,  though  somewhat  muddy,  like  the  Platte,  but  no  grass 
for  the  cattle,  it  having  all  been  eaten  off.  We  let  our  cattle  feed 
as  well  as  they  could  till  dark,  and  then  tied  them  up  to  keep  them 
from  wandering  off  for  feed.     Hardest  time  yet." 

From  Henry  Allen  Diary^l853 

"July  3.  We  start  on  after  breakfast.  Pass  Sublette's  cut  off 
and  continue  on  the  Oregon  and  California  Road,  Cross  Little 
Sandy  and  continue  on  to  Big  Sandy  and  Encamp  on  it's  banks." 
(Measurements  in  the  Allen's  Guide  book,  1859  shows  the  forks 
of  the  Salt  Lake  and  Sublette's  cut  off  roads  to  be  8  miles  east 
of  the  Little  Sandy. ) 

From  the  Vilina  Williams  Diary — 1853 

"July  19.  Traveled  20  miles  over  a  good  road  and  encamped 
on  Little  Sandy  where  we  enjoyed  a  good  nights  rest.  Those  sick 
a  few  days  ago  are  well  but  still  there  is  some  sickness  in  camp 
though  not  of  a  serious  character.  Nights  are  cool  and  days  are 
quite  warm. 

"Left  camp  and  drove  five  miles  and  encamped  on  Big  Sandy 
where  we  shall  remain  until  tomorrow,  having  before  us  a  dry 
trail  of  40  miles  which  must  be  made  during  the  evening  and 
morning.  We  passed  the  balance  of  the  day  in  camp.  Some  are 
washing,  some  trading,  and  still  a  portion  hunting.  I  find  men 
in  these  mountains  that  have  been  here  25  years.  A  Mr.  Kincaid 
is  now  in  camp  trading  with  our  men,  he  having  some  200  head 
of  cattle  which  we  need  in  some  measure.  This  gentleman  re- 
moved to  these  mountains  from  Boone  County,  Missouri  in  1824. 
He  is  quite  an  old  man,  yet  is  very  active,  although  he  has  been 
injured  and  is  lame." 

11:30  A.M.  Left  Little  Sandy  334  M.  and  drove  to  Farson 
where  all  cars  were  filled  with  gas  anticipating  the  long  trip  on  the 
trail  across  the  desert. 

12:10  Noon.  Stopped  for  lunch  at  the  Sublette  Cut-off  Marker 
on  the  highway  about  nine  miles  northwest  of  Farson.  Haystack 
Butte  was  visible  to  the  right.  Three  distinct  trails  passed  the 
Butte  but  converged  near  the  monument  and  became  one  road. 

Mr.  Bruce  McKinstry  read  from  his  grandfather's  diary  about 
this  part  of  the  country. 

"My  grandfather,  Byron  N.  McKinstry,  was  a  New  Englander 
who  moved  to  Northern  Illinois  in  1848,  where  he  taught  school 
and  farmed.  Finding  the  opportunities  not  up  to  his  expectations, 
he  decided  in  the  fall  of  1849  to  try  his  luck  in  the  gold  fields  the 


OREGON   TRAIL   TREK   NO.    SEVEN  201 

following  season.  With  three  men  from  neighboring  farms  he  pur- 
chased a  wagon  and  three  yoke  of  oxen  and  what  he  termed  a 
'tolerable  California  outfit'.  His  young  wife  returned  to  her  family 
in  New  England.  Byron  and  his  three  companions  left  McHenry 
County,  Illinois  for  California  on  Mar.  18,  1850. 

"When  they  reached  the  edge  of  settlement  in  south  central 
Iowa  and  bought  the  last  cattle  fodder  they  knew  to  be  obtainable, 
they  deemed  it  necessary  to  wait  two  weeks  on  the  bank  of  the 
Des  Moines  river  for  the  grass  to  grow  sufficient  to  sustain  their 
oxen. 

"On  arriving  at  Council  Bluffs  they  joined  the  Upper  Mississippi 
Ox  Team  Company  of  32  wagons  which  had  an  elaborate  organi- 
zation and  rigid  rules  of  conduct.  But  it  was  unwieldy  and  soon 
began  falling  apart.  At  Fort  Laramie  most  of  the  company  crossed 
to  the  south  bank  route  but  a  few  including  Byron  took  the  untried 
North  Bank  route  and  helped  open  it  to  future  traffic.  By  the 
time  they  reached  the  point  where  we  are  now  stopped,  Byron's 
group  consisted  of  only  four  wagons. 

"Byron's  diary  records  that  his  party  crossed  South  Pass  on 
July  9,  1850.  Of  Pacific  Springs  he  said,  'It  is  a  large  quagmire. 
The  sod  can  be  shaken  for  two  rods  around  and  sinks  when  you 
step  on  it  shoe-top  deep  in  the  water.  It  is  a  noble  spring  of  the 
best  of  water.  There  are  other  springs  nearby,  but  not  so  large. 
We  camped  at  the  Pacific  Spring  Crossing,  IV^  miles  beyond.' 

"On  July  10  he  recorded:  "We  came  in  9  miles  to  Dry  Sandy, 
only  a  little  water  in  holes — that,  not  fit  to  drink.  No  wood  or 
grass.  Junction  of  the  Salt  Lake  &  Fort  Hall  Roads,  6  miles.  We 
took  the  latter,  Sublette's  Cutoff.  Little  Sandy  8  miles  and  camped 
— all  sand  and  sage,  the  dust  sufficient  to  smother  one.  I  drove 
part  of  the  day.  I  am  sick  but  keep  about  and  mean  to  so  long 
as  I  can  walk.  We  found  no  grass  but  were  told  that  there  was 
some  six  miles  up  the  stream  near  a  certain  round  mound  that  was 
pointed  out  to  us.  It  being  my  turn  I  went  with  Clark,  Smelser 
and  Townsend  to  find  the  grass.  We  found  the  mound  and  went 
beyond  it  two  miles,  but  could  find  no  grass.  Plenty  of  dry  ravines 
and  the  heavy  growth  of  sage  made  it  hard  traveling  in  the  dark. 

'I  at  length  persuaded  Clark  to  return,  but  we  could  not  now 
find  the  cattle.  The  others  had  returned  to  camp.  I  thought  that 
I  could  go  no  farther,  and  I  laid  down  in  the  sage.  But  Clark 
would  not  wait,  so  I  staggered  on,  being  sick  and  faint.  I  had 
eaten  nothing  all  day.  I  had  a  pain  in  my  insides,  and  nearly  dead 
with  thirst.  I  gave  out  again  and  laid  down.  We  had  been 
travelling  by  a  star,  we  now  saw  a  camp  fire  two  miles  nearer  than 
our  camp.  I  now  laid  down.  I  could  walk  no  further.  Clark 
went  on.  After  lying  about  an  hour  and  hearing  the  wolves  howl 
all  around  me  I  staggered  on  to  camp  and  got  in  about  3  A.M. 
Made  23  miles.' 

"The  following  day  Byron  described  in  further  detail  his  night 


202  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

out  among  the  wolves  on  Little  Sandy.  'I  had  a  time  of  it  last 
night.  I  was  more  faint  than  sick  and  I  came  to  some  wagons 
two  miles  before  I  got  to  our  camp.  They  had  a  fire  that  I  had 
seen  for  miles  back  or  I  should  have  laid  out,  for  as  soon  as  Clark 
left  me  I  could  not  keep  my  course  by  the  stars.  Here  I  found  a 
man  and  woman  standing  guard  by  the  fire.  I  begged  a  biscuit 
of  them  which  strengthened  me  or  I  am  not  sure  that  I  could  have 
gotten  in.  When  I  laid  down  in  the  sage  I  dare  not  go  to  sleep 
on  account  of  the  wolves.  It  seemed  as  if  there  were  fifty  all 
around  me.  I  was  unarmed  and  did  not  know  but  they  might 
make  a  supper  of  me.  At  any  rate  they  discoursed  most  hideous 
music.  Though  to  tell  the  truth  I  felt  so  bad  when  I  first  laid 
down  that  I  cared  but  little  whether  I  ever  got  up  or  not,  and  when 
I  attempted  to  walk  I  staggered  like  a  drunken  man  over  the  sage 
and  frequently  fell  my  length  over  some  obstruction.  I  must  have 
walked  8  miles  out  and  8  miles  back.  I  was  right  glad  when  I 
found  our  tent.  Water  froze  last  night.  I  did  not  go  for  the 
cattle  today.  They  brought  them  in  and  drove  to  Big  Sandy, 
4  rods  wide,  2  feet  deep,  six  miles,  then  drove  our  cattle  6  miles 
upstream  for  grass  and  found  a  little  bunch  grass  on  the  hills. 
Our  cattle  have  traveled  18  miles,  we  have  advanced  six.  The 
whole  country  sand,  gravel,  and  sage.  I  am  quite  lame  today, 
but  feeling  better.'  " 

1:30  P.M.  Left  345M.  After  a  half  mile  on  the  pavement 
we  turned  west  on  a  dim  trail  which  soon  joined  another  branch 
from  the  south.  In  the  old  days  this  stretch  across  the  desert  was 
one  of  the  toughest  sections  along  the  trail.  Nothing  grew  except 
greasewood  and  there  was  no  water  or  grass  for  forty-three  miles. 
Byron  McKinstry  wrote  that  most  wagon  trains  started  the  trip  in 
the  evening,  making  it  in  twenty-six  hours  with  two,  two-hour,  dry, 
rest  stops.  An  unmarked  grave  to  our  right  testified  that  all  could 
not  "take  it." 

The  dust  was  terrific,  and  the  level  part  of  the  country  was 
deceiving  as  many  spots  were  quagmires  which  could  not  be 
crossed.  Ravines  and  valleys  made  it  necessary  for  the  emigrants 
to  rough-lock  their  wagon  wheels  in  order  to  make  a  safe  trip 
down  the  steep  sides.  Our  caravan  made  wide  detours  to  avoid 
these  hazardous  hills.  Buckhorn  Canyon  was  especially  steep. 
As  we  rode  along  the  brow  of  the  hill  we  could  see  four  distinct 
old  trails  slanting  almost  perpendicularly  down  into  the  valley  on 
the  opposite  side.    Our  descent  was  almost  as  breath  taking. 

The  beautiful  Salt  Creek  Range,  crested  with  snow  restored 
our  confidence  each  time  we  successfully  gained  a  hill-top.  That 
same  sight  must  have  frightened  the  pioneers  of  long  ago. 

4.10  P.M.  Arrived  at  about  395  M.  on  a  bluff  overlooking 
the  Green  River  opposite  Names  Hill.  Mr.  Bagley  pointed  out 
two  very  steep  trails  down  the  bluff.  Here  mules  had  to  sit  on 
their  haunches  and  men  strained  .muscles  to  lower  their  belongings 


OREGON    TRAIL   TREK   NO.    SEVEN  203 

to  the  river  valley.  We  could  easily  imagine  wagons  on  their  sides 
with  household  goods  scattered  about  as  the  women  and  children 
stumbled  and  scurried  down  to  the  river. 

Mr.  Joseph  Bagley  read  condensed  excerpts  from  the  Bruff 
Diary,  1849,  about  a  trip  over  this  part  of  the  trail. 

"Aug.  2  10  a.m.  At  a  meeting  about  Sublette's,  or  rather 
Greenwood's,  Cut-Off,  the  company  resolved  on  taking  the  'Cut- 
Off. 

"Aug.  3  Beautiful  morning  frost — 36°.  6  a.m.water'd  at 
crossg  of  the  Pacific  Branch"-  Road  pretty  level  and  sandy,-  some 
low  places,deep  sand.  Clay  bluff  on  right  -  at  about  300  yds 
A.&  opp.gravel  bluff,  where  I  obtained  felspar  fragments  in  cubical 
form  -  A  little  beyond,  semicircular  hollow  -  head  of  a  ravine,200 
yds.from  road,on  left,  pass'd  4  dry  sandy  ravines,  and  came  to  a 
spring  or  well,dug  down  square,2'  to  surface,!'  water,3  ft.sqr  on 
right  of  the  road,within  10  paces  of  it  -  good  cool  water,having  a 
floating  sediment,giving  it  color  and  appearance  of  crm:  tartar 
solution:  the  tartar  in  suspension  by  stirrg  up.  Pearl-cold  mica- 
cious  clay.  At  lOVi  a.m.  we-made  12  ms  &  n  oon'd  on  road: 
dusty  and  hot.-  Another  dusty  drive.-  road  otherwise  good.Babbitt, 
U.S. Mail  express,with  a  wagon  &  2  boys  from  Salt  L.He  was  bear- 
ing the  Mormon  petition  for  a  Constitution,  to  seat  of  Gov't  to 
form  a  State  Gov't  by  name  of  State  of  "Desertia".-  Show'd  me  the 
Constitution. 

Arrived  at  Forks  of  road,left  hand  going  down  to  Ft.  Bridger 
and  the  right  to  "Sublette's  Cut-Off".  At  the  forks,  a  small  stick, 
with  board  and  notices,  stating  what  companies  had  pass'd,on 
either  route,dates,&c.  A  notice  requested  travellers  to  pile  stones 
up  against  stick  to  support  it.  Saw,  about  V4  m.  below,  ahead  on 
left  edge  of  road,4  large  buffaloes  grazing:  several  horsemen  start- 
ed in  pursuit  ,&  when  1  of  them  had  approached  almost  within 
gunshot,  they  raised  their  heads,looked  a  few  seconds  at  the  man  , 
wheeled,and  scampered  off  to  the  N.E.  over  the  hills:  After  a 
short  pursuit  the  chase  was  given  up. Col.  Brophy's  train  &  a  party 
of  2  wagons,-ox  teams,all  held  a  meeting  at  the  forks,to  decide 
which  route  to  take.-  My  train  came  along  the  Cut  Off  road,fol- 
low'd  by  Brophy's,while  the  2  ox  wagons  pursued  the  lower  route  - 
bidding  us  adieu.  Maj.  Horn  gave  me  a  full  account  of  Babbitt, 
the  Mail  Agent-  formerly  of  Ioway,a  great  politician,  and  Mormon 
Attorney  or  advocate 

"Weather  fine,road  good,dust  bad.  Supped  with  Horn  &  wife 
on  hot  rolls,  baked  prairie  hen,and  sweetened  coffee,besides  stewed 
dried  peaches. 

"Snow-cap'd  Bear  River  Mts.  in  view  all  day.  Except  the  buf- 
falo mention'd,  no  game.  Several  dead  oxen  in  the  meadow  around 
our  camp.-  Difficult  to  find  a  camp-ground  destitute  of  them. 


204  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Sunset  clear,74°  -  Made  21 1/2  m.  to  "Little  Sandy", a  beautiful 
mountain  stream,brackish,but  cool'd  by  the  snows  from  the  moun- 
tains. 

"It  seems  to  be  a  system  for  all  return  persons,on  route,  not  to 
tell  true  stories  -  they  are  however,  mostly  Mormons.  Babbitt 
show'd  me  2  finger  rings  of  California  gold,made  at  Salt  Lake  of 
the  pure  metal  -  said  the  Mormons  had  a  bbl.  of  gold  dust,  as  the 
church  tithe  from  Mormon  diggings.-  that  it  (gold)  existed  in  the 
Bear  Mts.  -  and  that  Capt.  Bridger  &  sons  had  a  fine  store,filled 
with  Indian  goods,&  ponies,horses,&c.and  whiskey  at  $1  a  pint, 
for  sale  -  one  of  the  boys  with  B.  had  been  to  California,  and  con- 
firmed all  statements  about  the  gold.  Pass'd  the  graves  of  "Robert 
Gilmore  &  wife", (in  one  grave).  Died  of  cholera,July  18,1849. 

"46  dead  oxen  pass'd  to-day. 

"Aug.  4th  Clear,calm,Temp.46°  6  a.m.  moved  across  'L. 
Sandy'  till  we  came  to  where  the  road  forks  to  right  -  seeking 
grove  of  timber,about  a  mile  ahead:-  kept  the  left-hand  road  fol- 
lowing it  S.S.W.  6Vi  miles  to  "Big  Sandy", which  we  reach'd  and 
cross'd  at  9^2  a.m.  This  stream  is  much  like  the  former,except 
being  broader  in  places,&  having  wider  bottoms,  bounded  by  cliffs, 
above  road,and  long  low  banks  of  sand  -  grass  in  bottom  grazed 
off.  The  mules  taken  down  1  m.  to  graze.  Found  here  a  Company 
of  6  ox  wagons,camp'd.  Wind-river  Chain  of  Mts  trending  off  N.W. 
by  W.  with  their  dark  lofty  &  snow-patched  fronts  -  of  nearest 
end,  and  the  northern  ones  fading  in  the  blue  distance.  4  dead 
oxen  -  plentiful  as  usual. 

"The  "Wolverine  Rangers"  had  been  camp'd  on  opposite  side, 
just  above  road,  in  bottom:-  had  broken  up  a  wagon,leaving  sides 
and  other  fragments  for  the  benefit  of  our  cooks  besides  sevl  100 
wgt  of  fat  bacon  &  lots  of  lead,  iron,&c  -  cast  iron  stove,  beans  &c 

"4  p.m.  Strong  wind  -  84°  Moved  on  for  the  long  drive, 
variously  estimated,  from  35  to  55  miles, without  water,&  in  but 
one  spot  a  little  grass.  Travel'd  over  a  sandy  dusty  road  -  first  part 
level  -  latter  rolling  and  perfectly  arid  -  white  clay,scattering  dark 
dusty  sage,  and  hosts  of  dead  oxen.  Ox  train  coming  along.  Irk- 
some drive  to  all,more  particularly  to  teamsters  -  Our  faces  per- 
fectly cover'd  with  dust,of  an  ashy  hue,eyes  appearing  as  small 
dark  hollow  space.  Animals  much  fatigued  by  deep  sand  and  dust, 
in  many  places  to  wade  through. 

"Aug.  5th  -  After  bivouaking  in  the  dust,  with  a  hasty  bite  of 
anything,-  some  too  fatigued  to  take  that,the  men  were  soon  sound 
asleep. Some  under,  others  in  wagons,and  these  around  rolled  in 
blankets,  robes  and  dust.  Mules  sent  under  guard  to  the  N.  some 
distance  for  a  slight  graze  -  2  hours  of  this  dusty  repose  -  truly 
"dust  to  dust"  -  I  roused  camp  &  call'd  in  mules  and  hitch'd  up  - 
&  about  4  a.m.  moved  on  again  over  thirsty  and  dusty  route.  Road 
generally  trended  W.S.W.  sometimes  S.W." 

"9a.m.  Halted  at  the  foot  of  a  very  steep  hill,which  the  wagons 


OREGON    TRAIL   TREK   NO.    SEVEN  205 

had  to  descend  very  slowly — with  the  utmost  caution — mules  sat 
down  on  their  haunches  -  Sand  and  shingle  stones  -  sort  of  slate  - 
Great  neglect  of  Guide,  for  a  good  and  easy  road  descended  into 
hollow,  about  300  yds.  to  right  of  the  steep  hill.  This  valley  has 
no  outlet  -  a  mere  deep  dell,  apparent  from  road.  Sage  and 
greasewood.  Reached  river.late  in  the  afternoon:  some  could 
hardly  proceed. 

"Arriving  on  bank  of  'Green  River'  we  found  ourselves  perched 
upon  a  very  small  top  of  one  of  a  range  of  very  high  sandstone 
hills.  These  hills  were  truncated  cones  principally,  and  worn  in 
singular  hollows,leaving  the  sand  stone  projecting  in  rude  strata 
&  lumps.  From  the  elevated  pinnacle,  where  the  lead  wagon  stood, 
I  look'd  down  stream  V2  m.  off,  like  a  curv'd  silver  thread  -  patches 
of  willows,&c.  To  look  and  see  the  wagons  descending,  was 
appalling  -  the  wheel  mules  sitting  on  haunches,  with  heads  up  & 
fore  feet  projected  straight  to  the  front  &  close  together,  to  resist 
the  pressure  behind.  Men  guiding  &  holding  on  head  &  double 
lock'd  -  but  the  road  sides  were  knee  deep  with  impallable  powder 
&  loose  stones,clay,&  fragments  of  slate  -  so  that  all  pass'd  down 
in  safety.  Wheels,  axels,beds  &c.  of  wagons  lay  on  sides.  Road 
well  beaten.  We  now  followed  valley  down,in  S.S.W.  course  - 
generally,  for  5  or  6  miles  over  deep  dust  -  &  irregular  small  hills, 
&  turn'd  down  W.  to  the  river,  drove  in  on  its  pebbly  bottom,  hub 
deep  -  in  places,  down  some  100  yds.  to  a  gravel  island,  across 
that,  about  V4  mile  &  camp  -  43  miles,instead  of  35  only, and  not 
55  of  the  Mormons.  No  doubt  a  horrible  road  throughout  in  wet 
weather,such  steep  hills  as  a  former  one  and  the  last,  then  imprac- 
ticable for  wagons,almost  -  I  sent  the  mules  1  m.  below  to  graze, 
better  grass  there.  Animals  fagged  out  .  Cassins  wagon  10  miles 
in  rear.  At  night  sent  3  men  back  with  water  for  men  and  team." 

Mr.  Lyle  Hildebrand  read  a  paper  on  the  Green  River  fords 
and  ferry  sites  prepared  by  Mr.  Paul  Henderson. 

"We  now  stand  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  at  the  western  edge  of 
the  strip  of  country  that  was  traversed  by  the  Sublette  or  Green- 
wood Road.  Having  reached  this  place  the  early  fur  traders  and 
the  covered  wagon  pioneers  were  confronted  with  the  task  of 
descending  from  this  elevation  to  the  river  where  they  would  try 
to  cross  either  by  fording,  rafting  or  ferrying. 

"There  were  numerous  places  up  and  down  the  river  where 
they  crossed.  All  these  crossings  were  discovered  and  first  used 
by  the  mountain  men;  later  the  wagon  trains  followed  in  their 
wake. 

"Beginning  in  the  vicinity  of  Big  Piney  we  find  an  important 
crossing  first  used  by  the  fur  trappers  and  traders  in  going  to  and 
coming  from  the  rendezvous  grounds  near  present  day  Daniel, 
Wyoming.  ^  Later  this  same  crossing  was  used  on  the  route  of  the 


206  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Lander  Trail  which  was  laid  out  for  covered  wagon  travel  in  1858. 

"Coming  farther  down  the  river  we  arrive  at  an  old  crossing 
almost  directly  west  of  us.  It  was  used  by  the  trappers  as  early  as 
1826;  it  also  was  used  by  Caleb  Greenwood  when  he  piloted  the 
first  wagons  to  California  in  1844. 

"To  reach  this  ford  we  would  have  to  proceed  directly  westward 
and  descend  a  very  steep  hill.  About  a  mile  south  of  this  crossing 
is  another  which  had  to  be  reached  by  a  series  of  very  steep 
descents  following  more  or  less  the  arroyo  on  the  left.  The  river 
was  crossed  near  the  mouth  of  the  arroyo.  Ferries  were  operated 
at  various  times  during  the  highwater  season. 

"Much  of  the  travel  on  the  Sublette  Road  went  on  down  this 
arroyo  but  instead  of  crossing  the  river  at  the  mouth  of  the  arroyo 
the  wagon  trains  continued  down  along  the  left  bank  about  two 
miles  and  crossed  over  just  above  the  island  near  Mr.  Luoma's 
ranch.  An  Oregon  Trail  monument  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river 
marks  this  important  crossing.  Numerous  ferries  operated  here 
over  a  period  of  time.  This  crossing  is  usually  referred  to  as  the 
Names  Hill  Crossing. 

"Approximately  four  (4)  miles  below  this  last  mentioned  cross- 
ing was  another  near  the  mouth  of  Muddy  Creek.  Ferries  were 
also  operated  here.  It  was  an  important  location  and  today  is 
known  as  the  Anderson  Ranch  Crossing.  The  last  three  crossings 
mentioned  were  in  early  years  called  the  Upper,  Middle  and  Lower 
Ferries  or  Fords. 

"From  the  Anderson  Ranch  Crossing  a  trail  continued  down  the 
river  about  three  miles  to  the  old  Mormon  Ferry  which  was 
established  by  the  Latter  Day  Saints  in  the  very  early  1850's.  A 
dependable  ferry  service  was  carried  on  here  and  was  available 
when  the  river  was  too  high  to  ford.  It  must  have  been  a  paying 
enterprise  as  a  great  many  writers  of  early  diaries  complained  of 
the  high  toll. 

"The  last  four  crossings  mentioned  were  used  by  the  travelers 
who  came  to  Green  River  via  the  Sublette  Road  and  who  wished 
to  continue  westward  via  the  several  trails  that  converged  at  Rocky 
Gap  on  Willow  Creek.  The  true  Sublette  Road  went  up  Fontenelle 
Creek  but  the  branches  up  the  divides  of  Muddy  and  Fontenelle 
Creeks  were  described  in  some  of  the  diaries  as  being  the  Sublette 
Trail. 

"Now  let  us  drop  down  the  river  some  12  miles  from  the  Mor- 
mon Ferry.  Here  we  find  the  Case  Ferry  on  the  county  line 
between  Lincoln  and  Sweetwater  Counties.  This  ferry  was  used 
by  a  large  number  of  travelers  who  followed  down  the  Big  Sandy 
on  the  old  Fort  Bridger  Road.  They  came  northwesterly  up  the 
Green  for  about  18  miles,  crossed  it  at  the  Case  Ferry  then  took 
a  westward  course  along  Slate  Creek  to  arrive  eventually  at  Rocky 
Gap  and  the  combined  Sublette  Road. 

"Near  the  mouth  of  Big  Sandy  are  found  the  sites  of  several 


OREGON   TRAIL   TREK   NO.    SEVEN 


207 


fords  and  ferries.  These  were  used  by  the  people  going  to  Oregon, 
Cahfornia  and  the  Salt  Lake  Valley  via  Fort  Bridger. 

"Last  of  all  we  have  a  well  known  crossing  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  present  town  of  Green  River.  It  was  used  by  the  stage  and 
freight  outfits  on  the  road  between  Bryan  on  the  Union  Pacific 
and  South  Pass  City. 

"Each  of  these  river  crossings  has  a  long  and  colorful  history 
too  lengthy  to  be  narrated  at  this  time.  From  records  in  my  posses- 
sion a  sizable  volume  might  be  written  of  the  history  of  the  Green 
River  fords  and  ferry  sites." 

Since  the  bluffs  were  too  steep  and  badly  washed  for  cars,  we 
turned  north  on  a  dirt  road.  After  forty  miles  we  crossed  a 
bridge  and  drove  back  down  a  modern  highway  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Green.  Some  stopped  at  Big  Piney  while  the  rest  proceeded 
to  Names  Hill. 

5:45  P.M.  Stopped  at  the  Julius  Luoma  ranch  397  M.  opposite 
the  bluff  on  which  we  had  stood  two  hours  before.  Mr.  Luoma 
kindly  permitted  us  to  camp  in  his  meadow,  which  had  been  a 
favorite  camp  ground  for  emigrants  long  ago.  We  corralled  our 
cars  as  the  pioneers  had  circled  their  wagons  and  soon  a  campfire 
was  crackling  in  the  center.  The  Luomas  and  other  neighboring 
ranchers  came  to  join  us  for  supper  and  the  4th  of  July  fireworks. 
Tired  from  a  strenuous  day  over  tough  roads,  we  turned  in  early, 
fearing  nothing  except  mosquitoes. 


Courtesy  Pierre  La  Bonte,  Jr. 
Camp  on  Green  River  opposite  Names  Hill  on  the  Julius  Luoma  Ranch, 


208  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Thursday  —  July  5 

Julius  Luoma  -  Guide 

Caravan:    30  participants 10  cars 

8:15  A.M.  After  finishing  a  substantial  breakfast  around  the 
camp  fire,  we  packed  up  and  walked  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  Names 
Hill  where  Mr.  Bishop  blocked  off  "OREGON  TRAIL  TREK 
NO  7,  JULY  4  -  56"  above  the  old  names  carved  long  ago.  The 
members  of  the  party  took  turns  with  the  hammer  and  chisel 
cutting  the  inscription  marked  by  Mr.  Bishop.  Some  of  the 
oldest  names  noted  on  the  cliff  were  JIM  BRIDGER  -  1884, 
J.J.  SHAY  -  1825  and  TWIG  -  1832. 

Mrs.  Bishop  read  a  paper  on  Names  Hill  written  by  Mrs.  Hazel 
Boyack. 

"When  the  dynamic  urge  for  western  colonization  swept  the 
United  States  and  finally  pushed  the  frontiers  of  the  land  to  Pacific 
shores,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  eager  men  and  women  awaited 
that  hour. 

"It  is  always  a  source  of  wonderment  to  contemplate  the  magni- 
tude of  the  western  migration,  and  it  can  scarcely  be  appreciated. 
It  was  a  great  American  army  marching  forward,  each  in  his  own 
way,  all  eager  for  the  victory.  Many  of  the  travelers  sank  beneath 
their  load  of  hardships  and  were  buried  where  they  fell,  but  the 
ranks  were  filled  again  and  they  marched  on. 

"In  the  thirty  States  then  forming  the  Union,  none  was  left 
untouched.  Historian  Bancroft  made  this  ambitious  statement: 
'The  number  of  homes  broken  by  death  of  just  the  Argonauts 
alone  to  be  but  little  less  than  that  inflicted  by  the  Civil  War 
some  ten  years  later.' 

"John  S.  Hittell,  a  forty-niner,  declared  before  the  Society  of 
Pioneers  in  California  that  'none  of  the  battles  of  the  Civil  War 
broke  so  many  heartstrings  and  caused  such  wide-spread  pain  as 
did  the  California  Gold  migration  of  1849.' 

"To  the  Trail,  then,  we  look  for  an  expression  from  those 
people.  In  the  hearts  of  mankind  there  is  a  love  to  have  one's 
name  remembered,  perpetuated,  and  as  the  caravans  pressed  for- 
ward along  the  way,  that  desire  was  in  a  measure  satisfied  by 
inscribing  their  names  on  suitable  places.  In  Wonderful  Wyoming, 
three  main  "Inscription  Areas"  set  themselves  apart  across  the 
State.  Register  Cliff,  a  day's  journey  by  ox-teams  from  Old  Fort 
Laramie,  was  one.  Independence  Rock,  that  magnificent  pile  of 
granite,  had  inscribed  upon  its  surface  thousands  of  names  and 
dates.  It  could  be  a  favored  spot  for  the  Genealogist.  Today  we 
stand  at  Names  Hill,  another  record  in  the  western  wilderness, 

"Through  a  diligent  and  thorough  research,  I  have  been  able  to 
find  but  one  paragraph  on  Names  Hill.  The  following  quotation 
is  from  Wyoming  Writers  Program,  page  371:      "Names  Hill, 


OREGON   TRAIL   TREK   NO.    SEVEN  209 

where  one  of  the  many  branches  of  the  Trail  begins  a  climb  over 
broken  chffs.  Emigrants  paused  to  carve  their  names  in  soft 
limestone.  The  earliest  dated  inscription  is  1822.  One  of  the 
most  legible  is  James  Bridger  —  1844.  The  initials  J.B.  are 
carved  in  several  neighboring  chffs." 

"Names  Hill  enjoys  two  distinctions.  This  is  the  only  one  of  the 
three  places  that  bears  the  inscription  of  the  famous  mountaineer, 
Jim  Bridger,  and  1822  is,  to  my  knowledge,  the  earliest  date  an 
inscription  was  made  on  either  of  the  three  places." 

9:10  A.M.  Mr.  Luoma  led  the  caravan  three  miles  south  on 
the  highway  then  turned  abruptly  northwest,  crossing  several 
irrigation  ditches.  We  found  an  old  trail  and  traveled  north  on  it 
to  the  top  of  a  hog  back,  where  Mr.  Luoma  pointed  out  the  site 
of  a  couple  of  ferries.  Names  Hill,  and,  across  the  river,  another 
hill  which  also  has  names  carved  on  it.  We  could  see  the  old 
trail  crawling  up  the  draw  but  it  was  too  rough  so  we  back-tracked 
down  another  draw  which  was  bad  enough.  At  the  bottom  we 
read  several  names,  among  them  were  "E.Baldy  -  1852"  and 
"Burns  from  Ohio  -  July  15,  1852"  carved  on  the  rocks. 

As  we  traveled  along  Fontenelle  Creek  we  could  see  the  old 
Sublette  trail  going  over  a  hill  to  the  southwest.  A  little  farther 
south  we  came  to  the  Slate  Creek  Trail  which  we  followed  west- 
ward until  we  came  to  the  site  of  Emigrant  Springs  down  in  a 
hollow. 

The  springs  are  no  longer  visible  as  a  dam  has  been  built  and 
the  sluggish  water  has  backed  up  over  it.  Under  the  overhanging 
cliffs  nearby,  many  names  had  been  carved  but  were  mostly 
obliterated  by  wind  and  weather.  "C.F.White"  had  been  done 
with  black  wagon  paint.  "C.W.Thomas  -  June  1889"  was  the 
best  preserved,  but  most  of  the  names  carved  before  1860  have 
practically  disappeared. 

We  climbed  back  to  the  top  of  a  hill  for  a  quick,  dry  lunch  and 
were  soon  on  our  way.  In  order  to  have  thirty-five  miles  the  men 
shoveled  out  each  car  as  it  crossed  a  gulch  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
The  ascent  up  the  next  hill  was  so  steep  that  we  had  to  let  the  cars 
cool  when  we  reached  the  top.  Then  down  again  we  went  on  a 
long  steep  grade  into  Battle  Canyon,  and  then  up,  up  a  long,  bare, 
rocky  mesa  to  8,000  feet.  Here  the  Slate  Creek  road  and  the 
Sublette  Cut-off  were  crossed  by  a  third  trail.  How  the  pioneers 
must  have  labored  to  get  so  close  to  God!  The  quiet,  the  sublimity 
and  the  vastness  of  the  place  awed  all  of  us  as  we  crept  slowly 
toward  the  sky  in  our  powerful  cars.  How  hard  it  must  have 
been  for  the  people  on  foot! 

The  snow  covered  Salt  River  Range  towered  closer  to  the  north. 

2:30  P.M.  Down  we  went  on  a  seismograph  road  for  six  dizzy 
miles  to  the  Jamison  ranch  and  a  good  cold  drink  at  the  spring. 
The  three  trails  converged  near  here  and  became  one  through 
Rocky  Gap. 


210  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Mr.  Paul  Henderson  had  prepared  the  following  paper  on 
Rocky  Gap. 

"Here  at  Rocky  Gap  the  various  trails,  which  continued  west- 
ward from  the  Green  River,  converged  to  cross  Willow  Creek  then 
they  divided  again  to  continue  to  Ham's  Fork  by  both  the  Com- 
missary Ridge  and  Dempsey  Trail  routes. 

"From  the  junction  of  roads  on  Little  Sandy  some  fifteen  miles 
west  of  the  famous  South  Pass  a  trail  continued  almost  due  west 
to  Green  River.  It  was  known  in  the  early  days  as  the  Sublette 
Road  with  all  traffic  on  this  section  following  one  main  track  to 
the  river.  The  stream  was  crossed  at  several  places  both  above 
and  below  the  place  where  the  road  came  into  the  river.  From 
these  crossings  several  routes  were  taken  towards  Ham's  Fork. 
One  followed  along  the  divide  between  Muddy  and  Fontenelle 
Creeks,  another  passed  up  Fontenelle  Creek  valley  and  a  third 
wound  up  Slate  Creek.  The  first  two  joined  on  Fontenelle  and 
came  into  Rocky  Gap  via  The  Pine  Grove  on  Sheep  Creek.  The 
Slate  Creek  route  came  into  Emigrant  Spring  to  pick  up  a  detour 
of  the  Fontenelle  route  then  continued  on  to  Rocky  Gap. 

"From  Rocky  Gap  one  road  went  southwest  along  Commissary 
Ridge  and  reached  Ham's  Fork  between  the  mouth  of  Meadow  and 
Quaking  Aspen  Creeks,  thence  westward  up  the  latter  stream  to 
Emigrant  Springs  on  the  east  fork  of  Rock  Creek,  thence  over  a 
divide  to  cross  the  main  stream,  then  over  another  divide  in  a 
northwestly  direction  to  the  headwaters  of  Trail  Creek.  Passing 
down  that  stream  to  Sublette  Creek  it  junctioned  with  the  road 
coming  in  from  Fort  Bridger. 

"Now  let  us  return  to  Rocky  Gap.  After  crossing  Willow  Creek 
a  trail  takes  off  from  the  one  just  mentioned  and  follows  a  north- 
westerly course.  It  follows  up  Absarka  Creek  some  three  miles, 
winds  over  a  high  divide  in  a  circuitous  route  then  strikes  south- 
west to  reach  Ham's  Fork  near  the  Lower  Ham's  Fork  School. 
It  crosses  the  stream  here  and  again  takes  a  northwesterly  course 
over  the  divide  between  Ham's  Fork  and  Bear  River  to  reach  the 
head  of  Sublette  Canyon.  Some  went  down  the  canyon,  others 
made  a  short  detour  around  it  to  meet  below  the  canyon,  thence 
down  Sublette  Creek  to  junction  with  the  Fort  Bridger  Road  near 
the  place  where  the  Commissary  Ridge  route  joined  it. 

Many  old  diaries  mentioned  Rocky  Gap.  Some  gave  a  vivid 
description  of  the  terrain,  others  told  of  tragedies  that  happened 
there.  Others  were  impressed  by  the  many  graves  of  those  who 
had  perished  on  the  trail.  The  place  was  a  favorite  camping  site 
and  like  all  the  other  story  spots  on  the  Old  Oregon  Trail  a  very 
long  story  could  be  written  about  it." 

3:00  P.M.  Because  of  fences  and  ditches  we  took  the  highway 
into  Kemmerer  and  out  again  four  miles  on  a  new  road. 

3:30  P.M.     Arrived  opposite   Ham's  Fork   Crossing   of  the 


\ 


OREGON   TRAIL   TREK   NO.    SEVEN  211 

Sublette  Cut-Off  about  428  M.  There  we  saw  a  small  cemetery 
containing  six  graves  of  Ida  Clara  Burke  1892-95,  Jim,  Willie, 
Sammy,  James  and  Elizabeth  Westfall.  At  one  time  there  was  a 
toll  bridge  across  Ham's  Fork  near  these  graves.  It  was  operated 
by  a  man  by  the  name  of  Miller. 

3:45  P.M.  At  430  M.  we  saw  another  grave  marked  A.G. 
1864. 

With  our  practiced  eyes  of  detecting  the  old  trail  we  could  see  it 
going  straight  up  a  small  mountain.  Surely  this  was  one  place  the 
pioneers  were  more  determined  than  we — but  no — the  lead  car 
gathering  speed,  bounced,  lunged  and  hesitated  but  finally  stopped 
at  the  top.  The  passengers,  hanging  on  with  both  hands,  were 
thrown  from  side  to  side  as  the  drivers  followed  the  dim  trail 
through  the  grass  past  a  grave  on  the  lonly  hillside.  As  each  car 
made  the  top  the  trekkers  jumped  out  to  cheer  the  successful  climb 
of  all  the  other  cars. 

4.30  P.M.  Stopped  at  435  M.  to  see  the  Alfred  A.  Corum  - 
July  4,  1849  grave.  This  head  stone  was  about  twenty  feet  to  the 
left  of  the  trail. 

Mr.  Emil  Kopak  read  from  The  Missouri  Historical  Review, 
October  1928,  Vol.  XXIII,  No.  1. 

"In  1849  the  company  stayed  over  one  day  at  this  spot  because 
Alfred  Corum  had  been  ill  for  ten  days,  thinking  rest  might  help 
him.  Two  hundred  wagons  passed  the  campers  as  they  waited 
by  the  trail.    He  died  suddenly  on  July  4  th." 

Another  grave  marked  "Campbell"  was  near  the  Corum  grave. 

Across  the  trail  about  one  tenth  of  a  mile  farther  west  we  paused 
at  the  Nancy  Hill  grave  which  has  an  iron  fence  around  it.  The 
marker  has  been  practically  destroyed  by  bullets.  The  inscription 
on  the  headstone  is  wrong,  as  Mr.  Luoma  said  he  put  it  there  years 
ago  thinking  she  had  probably  been  killed  in  an  Indian  battle  the 
same  day  Corum  died.  In  the  Wake  of  the  Prairie  Schooner  Mrs. 
Paden  gives  the  date  of  her  death  as  1847.  She  states  that  "Nancy 
Hill  was  a  goddess  of  a  girl,  six  feet  tall  and  magnificently  healthy." 
She  was  well  in  the  morning  and  dead  at  noon.  The  family  had 
to  proceed  immediately  with  the  wagon  train  but  her  lover  re- 
mained to  mourn  for  two  days  then  rode  after  the  others.  He 
returned  three  times  to  visit  her  grave  in  the  following  fifty-three 
years. 

5:30  P.M.  Seven  of  the  cars  stopped  at  Emigrant  Spring 
(438  M.)  which  was  to  be  our  camping  ground  for  the  night. 

Two  other  cars  continued  on  down  the  mountain  trail.  At  440 
M.  a  branch  of  the  Sublette  Road  turned  to  the  left.  At  445  M. 
the  Dempsey  Road  joined  the  Sublette  Road.  We  continued  down 
the  most  awful  mountain  road  for  several  miles,  thinking  all  the 
time  that  we  would  never  get  back  up.  However,  we  did  and 
returned  to  Emigrant  Spring  just  in  time  for  supper. 


212  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

This  camping  place,  high  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  command- 
ed a  view  which  stretched  for  miles  and  miles  east  to  the  distant 
mountains.  The  spring  was  cold  and  clear  and  the  air  invigorating. 
After  supper  all  joined  in  singing  the  original  songs  composed  by 
Pierre  La  Bonte,  our  genial  photographer  from  Massachusetts. 

OLD  OREGON  TRAIL 

to  the  tune  of  On  the  Old  Fall  River  Line 
On  the  Old  Oregon  Trail 
On  the  Old  Oregon  Trail 
We  took  a  ride  with  the  greatest  pride 
To  see  what  there  was  there 
Then  we  fell  in  with  great  clouds  of  dust 
Till  we  thought  our  bulging  lungs  would  bust 
So  we  thank  you,  Clark,  for  this  pleasant  lark 
On  the  Old  Oregon  Trail 

TO  ALBERT  SIMS 

to  the  tune  of  No,  No,  Nora 
Albert,  Albert,  Nobody  but  you  dear 
Albert,  Albert,  Nobody  but  you  dear 
Can  keep  this  trek  a-moving 
They  wouldn't,  they  couldn't 
They're  not  so  smart 

We  could  have  trail-blazers  too  many  to  mention 
Wouldn't  pay  them  the  least  bit  of  attention 
And  would  we  trade  you  for  Old  Fontenelle 
No!    No!     Albert,    No!     No! 

As  soon  as  the  dishes  were  done  everyone  was  ready  to  turn 
in  so  tents  were  erected,  mattresses  blown  up  and  station  wagons 
became  beds  for  the  tired,  bruised,  dirty  Oregon  Trail  trekkers  of 
1956. 

Friday  —  July  6 

Mr.  Lyle  Hildebrand  -  Guide 
Caravan:     25  participants 8  cars 

Like  true  pioneers  all  were  up  at  4:30  with  everything  packed 
and  ready  for  departure  by  6:30  A.M.  The  beautiful,  clear 
morning  and  the  cold  mountain  air  restored  the  pioneer  spirit 
in  the  trekkers.  Most  had  forgotten  about  the  strenuous  day 
before. 

Traveling  south  to  Kemmerer  we  could  see  Commisary  Ridge, 
a  chain  of  mountains  between  Rocky  Gap  and  Ham's  Fork  to  tiie 
east. 

8:30  A.M.    Left  Kemmerer  on  30  N. 


OREGON   TRAIL   TREK   NO.    SEVEN  213 

9:00  A.M.  Met  Mr.  Reed  Dayton  and  Mrs.  Margaret  Jane 
Bourne  Roberts  where  the  highway  crossed  Sublette' Creek. 

Here  Mrs.  Roberts  related  some  stories  of  the  early  days  in 
Cokeville: 

Her  father,  one  of  the  earUest  settlers,  came  in  1875  and  she 
was  born  there  in  1876.  At  that  time  500  Shoshone  and  Bannock 
Indians  roamed  the  region.  One  of  the  settlers  by  the  name  of 
CoUett  was  appointed  as  a  minute  man  to  watch  for  Indians.  The 
government  sent  him  100  needle  guns  and  5,000  rounds  of 
ammunition  but  he  won  the  friendship  of  the  Indians  so  didn't 
need  them.  Indians  often  spent  hours  lounging  in  the  doorways  of 
the  settler's  cabins  then  would  saunter  off  when  they  became  bored. 

Mr.  Dayton  said  that  this  level  stretch  was  once  a  popular 
racing  ground  of  the  Indians  before  the  canals  were  dug  for  irri- 
gation. 

We  were  then  taken  nearer  to  the  base  of  the  mountains  and 
shewn  an  Oregon  Trail  marker  with  the  date  1843  roughly  cut 
in  it. 

Looking  up  the  mountain  side  we  distinguished  quite  a  network 
of  trails.  Three  distinct  ones  could  be  seen  coming  down  over 
Rock  Creek  Ridge,  the  steepest,  the  Dempsey  Cut-off.  It  was 
the  same  trail  we  had  followed  a  short  distance  the  night  before. 
How  thankful  we  were  that  we  had  turned  back!  If  weather  made 
one  impassable  another  would  be  used. 

The  main  trail  however  was  the  one  used  by  Sublette  which 
came  due  west  from  Ham's  Fork  to  Bear  River.  It  was  not  so 
steep  and  it  also  saved  two  and  a  half  days  travel,  if  negotiated. 
The  Continental  Divide  had  been  crossed  at  what  price!  We 
wondered  why  there  weren't  more  graves  along  the  trails!  Such 
endurance,  fortitude  and  determination  as  the  pioneers  showed  as 
they  crept  over  those  mighty,  merciless  mountains,  up  and  down, 
up  and  down  like  snails. 

How  glad  the  emigrants  must  have  been  to  come  to  the  lovely 
valley  of  the  Bear — as  we  were.  Here  a  ferry  over  Smith's  Fork 
made  their  going  even  easier. 

1 :  30  P.M.  Sixty-nine  miles  from  Kemmerer  we  came  to  the 
west  border  of  Wyoming  and  to  the  end  of  the  seventh  Trek.  All 
were  tired,  dirty  and  hungry  but  filled  with  a  much  greater  under- 
standing of  what  life  had  meant  along  the  Old  Emigrant  Road. 
After  inspecting  the  historical  marker  there  and  taking  a  few 
pictures  we  drove  to  Cokeville  where  we  ate  lunch  and  disbanded. 


Wyommg  Mchaeological  J^otes 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL  RESEARCH  IN  WYOMING 
DURING   1958 

GLENDO  SITES 

During  the  months  of  June  and  July,  a  joint  archaeological 
research  program  was  sponsored  by  the  National  Park  Service, 
the  University  of  Wyoming  and  the  Wyoming  State  Museum. 
Field  operations  were  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  William  Mulloy 
and  Lou  Steege.  Participants  in  this  program  for  the  entire  period 
of  time  were  eight  men:  Don  Kusulas,  Lakewood,  Colorado; 
Leslie  Heathcote,  a  British  exchange  student  from  the  University 
of  Nebraska;  James  Duguid,  Lusk,  Wyoming;  Harold  Adams, 
Lance  Creek,  Wyoming;  Ralph  Lindahl,  Laramie,  Wyoming;  Mark 
Mathany,  Thermopolis,  Wyoming;  Rodes  Moran  and  Dan  Witters, 
Cody,  Wyoming.  Ed  Kester  of  Glendo  spent  the  last  three  weeks 
with  the  party.  Glenn  Sweem,  Glenn  Sweem,  Jr.,  Dr.  R.  C. 
Bentzen,  and  Robert  Sowada,  members  of  the  Wyoming  Archaeo- 
logical Society  of  Sheridan,  Wyoming,  and  Dan  Corbin  of  Chey- 
enne, Wyoming,  spent  the  first  week  with  the  party.  Mrs.  Mulloy 
was  the  camp  manager  and  was  assisted  by  her  daughter,  Kathy. 

Investigations  at  this  site  included  the  excavation  of  a  stratified 
site,  excavation  of  a  cave,  excavations  of  stone  rings  and  habitation 
sites.  Charcoal  samples  for  carbon  1 4  dating  were  taken  from 
numerous  hearths.  A  topographical  map  was  made  of  the  area 
locating  all  exploratory  trenches  and  pits  in  addition  to  440 
individual  features  such  as  hearths  and  stone  rings. 

On  Sunday,  June  22,  a  caravan  of  32  cars  and  134  persons, 
members  of  various  Mineral  and  Gem  Societies  of  Colorado, 
Nebraska  and  Wyoming,  were  taken  on  a  conducted  tour  of  the 
diggings.  On  the  following  Sunday,  June  29th,  86  persons,  mem- 
bers of  the  Wyoming  State  Historical  Society  from  Albany,  Platte, 
Goshen,  Niobrara,  Natrona  and  Laramie  counties,  and  members 
of  the  Loveland  Chapter  of  the  Colorado  Archaeological  Society, 
were  taken  on  a  conducted  tour  of  the  site. 

The  research  at  Glendo  has  revealed  an  additional  supply  of 
information  on  the  little  known  lives  of  Wyoming's  vegetarian 
inhabitants  of  the  Middle  Prehistoric  Period  which  dates  back 
about  3,500  years. 

KAUFMANN  CAVE 

The  Kaufman  Cave,  near  Sheridan,  Wyoming,  was  excavated 
over  the  long  4th  of  July  weekend  by  members  of  the  Wyoming 


WYOMING  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  NOTES  215 

Archaeological  Society  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  R.  C.  Bentzen, 
Glenn  Sweem  and  Don  Grey.  This  cave  had  served  as  a  shelter 
for  many  different  peoples  of  prehistoric  times.  Samples  of 
charcoal  were  taken  from  the  many  hearths  found  in  the  cave. 
Numerous  artifacts  were  discovered  as  well  as  bones  of  several 
different  specie  of  animals  and  birds. 

MEDICINE  WHEEL 

During  the  first  part  of  August,  members  of  the  Wyoming 
Archaeological  Society,  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  R.  C.  Bentzen, 
conducted  a  research  program  at  the  site  of  the  Medicine  Wheel 
near  Kane,  Wyoming,  with  permission  of  .the  Forest  Service. 
Detailed  maps  of  the  Wheel  were  made.  Charcoal  samples  for 
carbon  14  dating  were  obtained  from  a  fire  hearth.  Stone  arti- 
facts, potsherds  and  beads  were  recovered  from  this  site.  Some 
wood  samples  for  dendrochronology  were  obtained.  Upon  com- 
pletion of  the  laboratory  work,  a  true  date  for  this  Medicine  Wheel 
should  be  forthcoming. 
ARCHAEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  THE  BIG  HORN  BASIN 

A  field  party  from  the  Roswell  Museum,  New  Mexico,  under 
the  direction  of  David  Gebhard,  spent  the  past  season  investigating 
some  cave  shelter  sites  in  the  Upper  Wind  River  Valley  and  also 
continued  with  their  archaeological  survey  of  the  middle  and 
upper  Big  Horn  Basin.  A  report  on  this  work  is  not  available 
at  this  time. 

L.  C.  Steege 


STONE  ARTIFACTS 

By  L.  C.  Steege 

HUNTING  AND  WARFARE 
THE  WAR  CLUB 

War  clubs  of  some  description  were  used  during  historic  and 
prehistoric  times  by  nearly  all  of  the  tribes  of  the  Northwest 
Plains.    These  may  be  classified  as  two  types. 

The  first  type,  probably  the  earliest,  is  known  as  the  "flaked" 
type.  Figure  I,  A-B.  These  are  the  double-bitted,  percussion 
flaked  stone  heads  which  were  notched  on  the  top  and  bottom  to 
facilitate  the  attachment  of  a  handle.  These  are  generally  crudely 
chipped  and  seldom  show  any  secondary  retouching  along  the 
edges.  This  type  of  war  club  has  been  found  throughout  the 
central  portion  of  Wyoming  from  border  to  border.  The  greatest 
concentration  appears  to  be  in  the  "Spanish  Diggings"  area. 

The  second  type  is  the  full  grooved  pohshed  tomahawk  (figure 
I,  C)  which  we  generally  associate  with  the  historic  tribes.     The 


216 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


heads  are  made  of  an  oval  shaped  stone,  circular  in  cross  section. 
These  were  fashioned  from  steatite,  which  was  easily  shaped  by 
the  individual,  or  a  nature-shaped,  river-worn  rock  was  utilized. 
A  groove  was  pecked  around  the  body  of  the  stone.  A  wooden 
handle  could  then  be  attached  to  the  stone  with  rawhide.  These 
were  formidable  weapons  in  the  hands  of  the  foe  and  were  used 
throughout  most  of  the  Plains  region. 

The  historic  Cheyennes  used  still  another  type  of  war  club. 
This  was  a  round  stone  about  the  size  of  a  baseball,  which  was 
completely  encased  in  rawhide,  and  fastened  to  a  long  handle. 
These  stone  heads  were  not  grooved  or  notched  in  any  manner. 


WYOMING  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  NOTES  217 

The  stones  were  utilized  as  they  were  found  in  nature.  War  clubs 
of  this  style  are  on  display  in  the  State  Museum  in  Cheyenne.  It 
is  quite  possible  that  weapons  of  this  style  were  also  in  use  by 
other  historic  tribes. 

PROJECTILE  POINTS 

A  foolproof  classification  for  all  projectile  points  does  not  exist. 
In  most  cases,  previous  systems  have  been  too  complex  with  too 
many  types  and  sub-divisions  of  types.  Therefore  they  were 
impractical  for  both  the  field  man  and  the  amateur.  I  have  used 
the  following  described  system  for  several  years.  Although  this 
system  is  not  complete  for  every  detail,  it  does  cover  most  of  the 
stylized  Plains  types  without  involving  too  many  sub-divisions. 

The  first  general  characteristic  feature  of  a  projectile  point  is 
one  of  three  variations.  The  projectile  point  is  either  "non- 
stemmed"  (N)  figure  II-A,  "stemmed"  (S)  figure  II-B,  or  "shoul- 
dered" (Sh)  figure  II-C. 

The  simplest  form  of  projectile  point  without  a  base  distinct 
from  the  body  is  known  as  the  "non-stemmed"  type.  The  most 
common  shape  of  this  type  is  triangular. 

When  the  base  becomes  narrower  than  the  maximum  width  of 
the  body  of  the  projectile  point  as  a  result  of  notching  either  the 
edges  or  corners,  we  have  a  feature  known  as  a  "stemmed"  point. 

The  third  variation  is  known  as  a  "shouldered"  point.  The 
distinguishing  feature  of  this  type  is  a  base  narrower  than  the 
body  but  without  definite  notches. 

The  second  general  characteristic  feature  of  a  projectile  point 
describes  the  method  of  notching.  There  are  five  divisions  in  this 
classification.  The  first  consideration  is  the  "notchless"  (X) 
variety,  figure  III-A.  These  can  only  be  classified  from  either  the 
non-stemmed  or  shouldered  groups. 

Non-stemmed  points  bearing  notches  cut  into  the  edges  are 
classified  as  "lateral-notched"  or  "side-notched"  (LN),  figure 
III-B. 

Stemmed  points  having  notches  cut  into  the  corners  of  the  base 
are  classified  as  "corner-notched"  (CN),  figure  III-C. 

Stemmed  points  bearing  notches  cut  into  the  base  are  classified 
as  "basal-notched"  (BN),  figure  III-D. 

Stemmed  points  bearing  shoulders  formed  by  notching  are 
classified  as  "shoulder-notched"  (SN),  figure  III-E. 

The  third  general  characteristic  feature  of  a  projectile  point  is 
the  description  of  the  base.  The  same  descriptions  apply  to  the 
non-stemmed,  stemmed,  shouldered,  notchless,  and  notched  types 
previously  described.  There  are  six  divisions  of  base  types.  The 
base  may  be  "straight"  (S),  figure  IV-A,  "concave"  (Ce)  figure 
IV-B;  "convex"  (Cx)  figure  IV-C;  "notched"  (N)  figure  IV-D; 
"tapered"  (T)  figure  IV-E;  and  "irregular"  (I)  figure  IV-F. 


218 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


The  last  characteristic  feature  of  projectile  points  is  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  edge.  There  are  five  divisions  of  edge  types.  The  edge 
may  be  "straight"  (S)  figure  V-A;  "concave"  (Ce)  figure  V-B; 
"convex"  (Cx)  figure  V-C;  "serrated"  (Se)  figure  V-D;  and 
"irregular"  (I)  figure  V-E. 

The  typical  Plains  projectile  point,  figure  VI,  may  now  be 
classified  as  follows:  S-CN-Cx-S,  a  stemmed  point  (S),  corner- 
notched  (CN),  convex  base  (Cx),  and  straight  edges  (S). 

This  concludes  the  series  of  the  descriptions  and  classifications 
of  stone  artifacts. 


Wyoming  State  Mistorical  Society 

Fifth  Annual  Meeting  September  6,  1958 

State  Office  Building,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming 

Registration  for  the  Fifth  Annual  Meeting  opened  at  8:30  A.M. 
at  the  Wyoming  State  Museum  in  Cheyenne.  At  9:30  approxi- 
mately 70  members  made  a  conducted  tour  to  an  area  known  as 
"the  grand  canyon  of  southeastern  Wyoming"  under  the  guidance 
of  Mr.  Charles  Ritter.  This  area  lies  about  fifteen  miles  west  of 
U.  S.  Highway  87  on  the  Colorado-Wyoming  border.  The  tour 
group  returned  to  Cheyenne  at  12:30. 

An  Executive  Meeting  was  held  in  the  Conference  Room  of 
the  State  Office  Building  at  10:00  a.m.,  during  which  time  the 
agenda  for  the  general  business  meeting  to  be  held  at  1:30  was 
discussed. 

FIFTH  ANNUAL  BUSINESS  MEETING 

The  Fifth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Wyoming  State  Historical 
Society  met  in  the  State  Office  Conference  Room  in  Cheyenne  on 
September  6,  1958,  at  1:30  p.m.  with  108  members  present.  Dr. 
T.  A.  Larson,  President,  called  the  meeting  to  order.  Delegates 
from  the  following  counties  were  present:  Albany,  Carbon,  Fre- 
mont, Goshen,  Johnson,  Laramie,  Natrona  and  Sweetwater. 

The  Secretary  read  the  minutes  of  the  Fourth  Annual  Meeting 
which  was  held  in  Cody  in  September,  1957,  and  the  minutes  of 
the  Executive  Committee  Meeting  which  was  held  in  January, 
1958,  in  Cheyenne.  Since  there  were  no  additions  or  corrections, 
the  minutes  were  approved  as  read. 

TREASURER'S   REPORT 

September  28,  1957  -  September  6,  1958 

Cash  and  Investments  on  hand  September  20,  1957  $5,458.57 

Receipts  and  Interest: 

Dues  2,796.50 

Colter  Booklet  237.03 


Interest  on  Savings 

177.14     

3,210.67 

8,669.24 

Disbursements  9-20-57  — 

9-6-58 

Annals  of  Wyoming 

$1,356.00 

Office  Supplies 

114.57 

Postage 

31.38 

Meetings 

187.62 

Slides 

87.52     

1,777.09 

6,892.15 


220  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ASSETS 

September  6,   1958 

Cheyenne  Federal  Building  and  Loan  $5,647.28 

Stock  Growers  National  Bank  checking  account  1,244.87 


$6,892.15 
Present  membership  of  the  Society  as  of  September  6,  1958  is  as 
follows: 

Life  members  28 

Joint  Life  members  ....: 12 

Annual  members  482 

Joint  annual  members  328 

Total                          850 
Counties  which  have  organized  chapters 12:    Albany,  Carbon,     , 

Campbell,  Fremont,  Goshen,  Johnson,  Laramie,  Natrona,  Park, 

Sweetwater,  Uinta  and  Washakie. 
Registered  attendance  at  Fifth  Annual  Meeting  109 

Mr.  A.  H.  MacDougall  reported  that  he  and  Mr.  Vernon  Hurd 
had  audited  the  books  and  found  them  correct  and  in  order. 
The  following  reports  of  standing  committees  were  given: 

1 .  ARCHAEOLOGICAL  COMMITTEE.  Mr.  L.  C.  Steege, 
chairman,  reported  that  he  had  worked  five  weeks  in  the  Glendo 
region  with  his  crew.  Mr.  Steege  headed  the  field  group  for  the 
State  Museum  which  had  a  joint  contract  with  the  National  Park 
Service  and  the  University  of  Wyoming  to  sponsor  this  diggings. 
Dr.  William  Mulloy  headed  the  University  of  Wyoming  crew. 
(A  fuller  report  on  the  summer  field  work  will  appear  in  the 
October  1958  Annals  of  Wyoming  in  the  Arcjiaeological  Notes 
section.) 

2.  LEGISLATIVE  COMMITTEE.  No  one  from  the  Legisla- 
tive committee  was  present.  It  was  decided  that  no  Archaeological 
bill  would  be  presented  to  the  1959  Legislature.  The  consensus 
of  opinion  was  that  it  is  better  at  this  time  to  educate  the  public 
in  regard  to  proper  methods  of  excavation  and  care  of  such  sites 
and  to  encourage  public  sentiment  against  depredations.  Dr. 
Larson  stated  that  he  felt  that  some  legislative  matters  relating  to 
the  historical  field  would  probably  be  presented  at  the  next 
Legislative  session. 

3.  SCHOLARSHIP  COMMITTEE.  Dr.  Larson  announced 
that  Leonard  Gregory  planned  to  write  a  history  of  Big  Horn 
County.  It  was  moved,  seconded  and  carried  that  Leonard  Greg- 
ory be  awarded  the  $300.00  scholarship  offered  by  the  State  His- 
torical Society  and  that  he  receive  $100  of  this  amount  immediately 
and  $200.00  upon  the  completion  of  his  thesis. 

4.  AWARDS  COMMITTEE.  Mrs.  Condit,  chairman,  stated 
she  would  announce  the  Awards  at  the  banquet  in  the  evening. 


WYOMING   STATE   HISTORICAL    SOCIETY  221 

5.  SURVEY  OF  HISTORICAL  SITES.  No  report  was  given 
as  Mr.  E.  A.  Littleton,  chairman,  was  not  present.  The  President 
spoke  on  the  importance  of  this  survey  and  urged  counties  to 
continue  with  this  work  and  to  mark  important  sites. 

Mr.  MacDougall  reported  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  follow 
up  his  investigations  regarding  the  Jim  Baker  cabin.  Mr.  Joseph 
Weppner,  secretary  of  the  Historical  Landmark  Commission,  stated 
that  the  Legislature  had,  a  number  of  years  ago,  appropriated 
$750.00  to  move  the  cabin  to  Cheyenne.  Five  years  ago  about 
$1,000.00  was  spent  to  preserve  the  outside  of  it.  Mr.  Weppner 
moved  that  the  Secretary  of  the  Historical  Society  write  a  letter 
addressed  to  him  as  Secretary  of  the  Historical  Landmark  Com- 
mission asking  that  something  be  done  immediately  to  preserve  the 
building.    Seconded  and  carried. 

Mr.  MacDougall  announced  that  Mr.  Ed  Gibb  who  owns  the 
ranch  where  Fort  Fetterman  once  stood  will  be  glad  to  give  a 
right  of  way  so  the  public  may  visit  the  old  site  and  the  few  remain- 
ing buildings. 

Mr.  Claude  Gettys  of  Story  announced  that  information  on  the 
Fetterman  Massacre  Monument  is  incorrect  in  that  it  gives  the 
idea  that  Fort  Phil  Kearney  was  located  at  the  site  of  the  monu- 
ment whereas  it  was  actually  several  miles  away.  The  President 
suggested  that  Mr.  Gettys  obtain  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of  making 
the  proper  change  and  submit  it  to  the  next  Executive  Committee 
Meeting. 

Mr.  L.  C.  Bishop  stated  that  the  Red  Buttes  Monument  in 
Natrona  County  is  not  within  20  miles  of  the  graves  from  the 
battle.  He  has  found  remnants  of  two  wagons  which  were  burned 
at  the  scene  of  the  Custard  Massacre.  These  are  only  one  mile 
from  old  Fort  Casper.  He  suggested  that  the  gravestones  be 
moved  to  the  site  of  the  burials.  Mr.  Weppner  explained  that  the 
gravestones  were  merely  markers  commemorating  that  tragic  event. 
The  President  suggested  that  Mr.  Bishop  have  specific  recommen- 
dations to  be  presented  to  the  next  Executive  Committee  Meeting. 

6.  ANNOUNCEMENTS.  Miss  Homsher  reported  that  the 
Westinghouse  Broadcasting  Company  Contest  is  an  annual  affair. 
In  1957  Sheridan  and  Green  River  submitted  historical  radio 
recordings,  but  neither  entry  won.  Only  two  awards  are  given 
nation-wide.  The  radio  station  or  TV  station  on  which  the  win- 
ning program  appeared  receives  $500  and  $500  is  awarded  to  the 
state  or  county  historical  society  which  sponsors  the  winning  entry. 

-  Miss  Carley,  Secretary-Treasurer,  reminded  members  that  the 
Colter's  Hell  booklets  are  still  available  for  sale.  She  stated  that 
enough  have  been  sold  so  that  the  Society  is  within  $55.00  of 
having  the  publication  money  returned  to  the  treasury. 

Miss  Carley  also  announced  that  the  two  sets  of  historic  slides 
"The  Dinwoody  Petroglyphs"  and  the  "Oregon  Trail"  series  and 


222  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

narratives  are  now  ready  for  lending.  The  Society  has  4  sets  of 
each  and  one  reserve  set  for  security  from  which  additional  copies 
can  be  made.  These  sets  of  slides  may  be  borrowed  by  writing 
to  Miss  Homsher. 

Annual  reports  of  activities  undertaken  by  County  Chapters 
were  given.  The  following  reports  were  given.  Those  preceded 
by  an  asterisk  were  written  and  are  now  on  file. 

*  Albany  County  Miss  Clarice  Whittenburg,  President 
*Carbon  County  Mr.  Kleber  Hadsell,  President 

Fremont  County  Mr.  Jules  Farlow,  Delegate 

Goshen  County  Mr.  Sam  Olson,  President 

*  Johnson  County  Mrs.  Ada  Duncan,  Delegate 

*  Laramie  County  Mr.  Robert  Larson,  President 

*  Natrona  County  Mrs.  Edness  Kimball  Wilkins,  Delegate 

*  Sweetwater  County  Mr.  Vernon  Hurd,  Delegate 

Under  new  business  it  was  decided  to  change  the  procedure  for 
the  election  of  state  officers.  In  the  future  the  slate  will  be  sent 
to  each  member  of  the  Society  with  the  summer  History  News. 
Each  interested  member  shall  return  the  ballot  addressed  to  the 
Nomination  Chairman,  whose  name  and  address  will  appear  on 
the  ballot.     This  will  save  approximately  $85.00  for  the  Society. 

The  Washakie  County  Historical  Society,  through  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  the  President,  Dr.  Larson,  requested  consideration  of  a 
change  in  the  constitution  which  would  allow  county  chapters  to 
add  a  new  membership  classification,  that  of  Associate  Members. 
Such  an  associate  member  would  pay  only  the  county  dues:  he 
would  not  belong  to  the  State  Historical  Society,  would  have  no 
privilege  of  voting  or  holding  office  in  the  local  chapter,  and  would 
not  receive  any  publications  of  the  Society.  In  a  discussion  on 
this  subject  a  number  of  objections  were  raised,  other  county  chap- 
ters feeling  that  the  problem  of  local  memberships  had  resolved 
itself  in  their  counties.  It  was  the  concensus  of  opinion  that  if 
this  change  were  made  in  the  State  Historical  Society  constitution 
that  it  would  weaken  the  State  Society.  It  was  decided  that  this 
should  continue  to  be  a  local  problem,  handled  locally,  with  a  goal 
of  educating  people  over  the  state  as  to  the  advantages  of  state 
membership  and  the  need  of  their  supporting  a  state  program. 
The  Secretary  was  instructed  to  write  the  Washakie  County  Chap- 
ter regarding  the  decision  of  the  membership  attending  the  meeting. 

The  president  announced  that  the  Washakie  County  Chapter 
has  extended  an  invitation  to  the  State  Historical  Society  to  meet 
in  Worland  in  1961,  in  conjunction  with  the  50th  anniversary 
celebration  of  the  creation  of  Washakie  County.  Dr.  Larson 
stated  that  since  no  invitations  for  the  1959  Annual  Meeting  were 
ready  for  presentation  at  this  time  that  they  would  be  considered 
at  the  next  Executive  Committee  Meeting  during  the  winter. 


WYOMING    STATE   HISTORICAL    SOCIETY  223 

Dr.  Larson  appointed  the  following  Resolutions  Committee: 
Mrs.  Edness  Kimball  Wilkins,  Chairman,  and  Mr.  Jules  Farlow. 

Dick  Nelson,  pioneer  of  Wyoming  who  now  lives  in  San  Diego, 
California,  extended  by  telegram  his  greetings  and  best  wishes  for 
a  successful  meeting. 

The  meeting  adjourned  for  the  tour  of  the  State  Museum,  fol- 
lowed by  a  tea  given  by  Mrs.  Milward  L.  Simpson  at  the  Executive 
Mansion  at  4  o'clock. 

Dinner  Meeting — Evening  of  September  6 

In  the  evening  173  persons  attended  a  smorgasbord  dinner  at 
the  Palomino  Supper  Club.  Dr.  T.  A.  Larson  introduced  members 
of  the  Society  who  had  come  from  the  greatest  distance  to  attend 
the  meeting:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clare  Eraser  of  Fort  Credit,  Ontario, 
Canada,  Mrs.  Florence  H.  Murphy  of  Seattle,  Washington,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  H.  Wright  of  Duarte,  California. 

The  President,  Dr.  Larson,  announced  the  results  of  the  election 
of  officers  for  1958-59  as  follows: 

President,  Mr.  A.  H.  MacDougall  of  Rawlins 
First  Vice  President,  Mrs.  Thelma  Condit  of  Buffalo 
Second  Vice  President,  Mr.  E.  A.  Littleton  of  Gillette 
Secretary-Treasurer,  Miss  Maurine  Carley  of  Cheyenne 

Historical  Awards 

Mrs.  Thelma  Condit,  chairman  of  the  Awards  Committee  pre- 
sented the  following  Historical  Awards: 

Miss  Clarice  Whittenburg  for  her  book  Wyoming's  People,  a 
serious  history  of  Wyoming  for  the  4th,  5th  and  6th  grades. 

Mrs.  Mae  Urbanek  for  her  book  The  Uncovered  Wagon,  an 
account  of  some  of  the  history  of  eastern  Wyoming  and  the  Black 
Hills  area.     (Honorable  Mention) 

Mr.  Jack  R.  Gage  for  his  historical  novel  Tensleep  and  No  Rest, 
a  novel  based  on  historical  facts  of  the  last  cattle-sheep  war  in 
Wyoming. 

Mrs.  Edness  Kimball  Wilkins  for  her  historical  article  which 
appeared  as  a  section  of  a  book,  "The  Powder  River  Basin  of 
Wyoming,  Land  of  the  Last  Frontier." 

The  Laramie  Daily  Boomerang,  newspaper,  for  its  outstanding 
coverage  of  the  history  of  the  State  through  special  series  of  his- 
torical articles  and  continually  presenting  to  the  community  its 
historic  heritage. 

Homer  C.  Richards  and  W.  C.  Lawrence  for  estabhshing  and 
maintaining  a  fine  private  museum  in  Jackson,  Wyoming. 

Louis  C.  Steege  for  his  volunteer  leadership  in  the  archaeological 
field  in  Wyoming  and  promotion  of  better  standards  in  archaeo- 
logical investigations  in  the  State. 


224  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Sweetwater  County  Historical  Society,  Radio  Station  KVRS, 
Social  Science  Class,  Lincoln  High  School,  Green  River,  for  their 
cooperative  project  culminating  in  a  series  of  radio  programs  on 
"The  History  of  Southwestern  Wyoming." 

Resolutions 

Mrs.  Edness  Kimball  Wilkins,  chairman  of  the  Resolutions 
Committee,  presented  the  following  report: 

WHEREAS:  The  Laramie  County  Historical  Society  has  been 
the  gracious  host  for  the  Fifth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Wyoming 
State  Historical  Society,  and 

WHEREAS:  the  membership  of  the  Society,  the  officials  of  the 
State  of  Wyoming  and  the  City  of  Cheyenne  have  extended  every 
courtesy  to  make  this  an  outstanding  meeting;  therefore, 

Be  it  resolved  that  we  extend  our  sincere  appreciation  for  the 
excellent  program,  the  interesting  trek,  and  for  the  hospitality 
extended;  and  that  we  especially  thank  Mr.  Robert  Larson,  the 
president  of  the  Laramie  County  Historical  Society,  and  Miss  Lola 
Homsher  and  Miss  Maurine  Carley  for  their  splendid  efforts  in 
making  this  State  meeting  an  outstanding  success. 

Be  it  further  resolved  that  we  extend  our  deep  appreciation  to 
the  Honorable  Milward  L.  Simpson,  Governor  of  Wyoming,  and 
to  Mrs.  Simpson  for  their  gracious  hospitality  in  opening  the 
Mansion  to  the  members  of  the  Wyoming  State  Historical  Society. 

Edness  Kimball  Wilkins,  Chairman 
Jules  Farlow. 

The  resolutions  were  adopted  unanimously. 

Program 

The  Shy-Guys  a  quartet  from  Cheyenne  sang  several  numbers 
which  were  greatly  enjoyed. 

An  historical  skit  "Pioneer  Portraits"  was  presented  by  the  Lara- 
mie County  Historical  Society.    Members  of  the  skit  were: 

Herbert  Salisbury,  Dull  Knife 
Louis  Demand,  General  Dodge 
Mrs.  Anthony  Reis,  Calamity  Jane 
L.  C.  Steege,  Portuguese  Phillips 
William  Schroll,  Tom  Horn 
Mrs.  Charles  E.  Lane,  Esther  Morris 

A  Choral  Reading  Group  read  a  narrative  written  by  Mrs. 
Graham  Walker  giving  some  of  the  history  regarding  each  charac- 
ter. Mrs.  Glenn  K.  Rogers  read  the  lead  part  of  the  story  and 
she  was  joined  by  the  following  members  of  the  Choral  group 
reading  the  history  of  the  character:  Mrs.  Walker,  Miss  Marguerite 


WYOMING   STATE   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY  225 

Martin,  Mrs.  Hazel  Ward,  Miss  Reta  Ridings,'  Mrs.  Owen  King, 
Mrs.  James  Carlisle,  and  Miss  Maurine  Carley. 

The  speaker  of  the  evening  was  Dr.  S.  H.  Knight,  Head  of  the 
Department  of  Geology,  University  of  Wyoming,  who  gave  a  most 
interesting  and  informative  talk  on  the  "History  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains"  which  he  illustrated  by  chalk  drawings  of  the  evolution 
of  the  land  now  in  Wyoming  since  the  beginning  of  time  as  it  is 
read  from  the  formations  of  the  earth. 

Sunday — September  7 

At  9:00  o'clock  Sunday  morning  approximately  75  members 
met  to  dedicate  the  newly  erected  historical  sign  on  Cheyenne 
which  had  been  erected  three  miles  east  of  the  city.  The  sign  was 
designed  and  erected  by  the  Laramie  County  Historical  Society. 

Mr.  Robert  Larson,  president  of  the  Laramie  County  Historical 
Society,  made  the  dedication  speech  and  introduced  Miss  Maurine 
Carley  and  Mr.  L.  C.  Bishop,  the  committee  responsible  for  the 
details  of  its  erection,  after  which  Miss  Carley  and  Mr.  Bishop 
unveiled  the  sign. 

Following  the  dedication  the  group  drove  to  the  picnic  grounds 
of  the  Veterans  Administration  Hospital  where  the  Executive 
Board  of  the  Laramie  County  Historical  Society  entertained  the 
members  of  the  State  Historical  Society  at  a  Round-up  Breakfast. 
Coffee,  bacon  and  pancakes  with  all  the  trimmings  were  served  by 
the  two  efficient  cooks,  Bill  Schroll  and  Chuck  Ritter. 

Entertainment  following  the  breakfast  was  given  by  the  Chey- 
enne Ki-Ann  Indians  who  gave  an  excellent  exhibition  of  authentic 
Indian  dances.  The  guests  enjoyed  visiting  with  each  other,  and 
following  the  breakfast  and  the  entertainment  the  Fifth  Annual 
Meeting  was  concluded. 

Maurine  Carley,  Secretary 

LOCAL  ARRANGEMENTS  COMMITTEES 

Museum  Tour  Program 

Dr.  Paul  W.  Emerson,  Chairman  Miss  Dorothy  Taylor,  Chairman 

Mrs.  D.  M.  Carley  Mr.  Ed  Logan 

Mr.  Russell  Thorp  „     . 

Mr  L  C  Steege  Registration 

Mr!  Charles  Elmer  Lane  Mrs.  Mabel  B.  Martin,  Chairman 

Miss  Ann  Jabelmann 

Banquet  Mrs.  Paula  Durnford 

Mrs.  John  W.  Howard 

Robert  R.  Larson  Tea  u  r^    ,•  ,     ^t,  ■ 

Mrs.  James  H.  Carlisle,  Chairman 
Trek  Mrs.  John  W.  Howard 

Mr.  Charles  Ritter,  Chairman  Mrs.  Charles  Ritter 

Mrs.  William  R.  Schroll 
Historical  Sign  Mrs.  Graham  Walker 

Miss  Maurine  Carley,  Chairman  Miss  Marguerite  Martin 

Mr.  L.  C.  Bishop 


226 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Breakfast 

Mrs.  Charles  Ritter 
Mr.  William  R.  Schroll 


Decorations 

Mrs.  Owen  R.  King,  Chairman 


Publicity 

Mr.  Herbert  J.  Salisbury,  Chairman 


Courtesy  Lola  M.  Homsher 

Dedication    of   Historic    Sign    on    Cheyenne,    Wyoming. 
Miss  Maurine  Carley  and  Mr.  L.  C.  Bishop. 


Mook  Keviews 


The  Autobiography  of  the  West.  Compiled  and  annotated  by 
Oscar  Lewis  (New  York:  Henry  Holt  and  Company,  1958. 
310  pp.    $5.00) 

Oscar  Lewis  writes  fluently  and  abundantly,  turning  out  non- 
fiction  books,  juveniles,  novels,  and  magazine  articles.  As  a  rule 
his  works  are  popular,  and  deservedly  so. 

This,  his  most  recent  publication,  appears  to  be  something  new 
for  him,  a  kind  of  anthology.  He  has  supplied  introductory  para- 
graphs and  connecting  links  for  a  long  chain  of  quotations  from 
"personal  narratives  of  the  discovery  and  settlement  of  the  Ameri- 
can West."  The  period  covered  is  from  the  1530's  to  the  1890's, 
although  only  a  few  pages  deal  with  the  years  before  1800.  Ap- 
proximately one  hundred  sources  are  drawn  upon,  and  as  a  rule 
several  short  quotes  are  taken  from  each  source.  The  quotations 
are  grouped  in  eleven  chapters:  "Widening  Horizons,"  "Trail 
Breakers,"  "Under  Four  Flags,"  "Hunters,  Traders,  and  Trap- 
pers," "The  Yankees  Head  West,"  "Gold  on  the  American  River," 
"The  Rush  by  Land,"  "The  Rush  by  Sea,"  "The  Northwest,"  "The 
Southwest,"  and  "Sidewheeler,  Stagecoach,  and  Iron  Horse." 

Among  the  authors  quoted  are  such  well  known  persons  as 
Lewis  and  Clark,  Francis  Parkman,  John  C.  Fremont,  H.  H.  Ban- 
croft, and  Mark  Twain.  There  is  even  a  half  page  from  Mercer's 
The  Banditti  of  the  Plains.  Most  of  the  authors,  however,  are 
obscure.  Taking  the  M's  for  example,  not  many  readers  will  have 
heard  of  Lemuel  McKeeby,  James  McNaney,  and  Ciriaco  Molina. 
This  of  course  does  not  mean  that  what  they  wrote  is  beneath 
attention.  On  the  contrary,  the  excerpts  are  well  chosen.  Only 
Lewis  and  Clark  are  mistreated,  since  the  riches  available  in  their 
journals  are  poorly  represented  by  the  dull  passages  selected  here. 

Persons  who  believe  that  "Wyoming  is  the  West"  may  be  some- 
what disappointed  that  the  volume  has  so  little  about  Wyoming  in 
it,  but  when  one  sets  out  to  pick  three  hundred  pages  of  quotations 
from  four  centuries  and  from  all  over  the  trans-Mississippi  West, 
with  sea  routes  thrown  in,  he  cannot  fairly  give  much  attention  to 
Wyoming. 

The  average  reader  will  enjoy  this  kaleidoscopic  presentation 
of  western  American  History.  Indeed,  it  is  hard  to  think  of  a 
better  book  for  stimulating  interest  among  persons  who  are  just 
beginning  to  study  the  History  of  the  West. 

University  of  Wyoming  T.  A.  Larson 


228  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Owen  Wister  Out  West,  His  Journals  and  Letters.  Edited  by 
Fanny  Kemble  Wister.  (Chicago:  University  of  Chicago 
Press,  1958.     269  pp.,  illus.     index.     $5.00.) 

Any  lover  of  Wyoming  history  will  thoroughly  enjoy  OWEN 
WISTER  OUT  WEST,  His  journals  and  Letters  edited  by  his 
daughter  Fanny  Kemble  West.  The  book  is  a  collection  of  ob- 
servations and  experiences  recorded  on  the  spot  from  nearly  every 
section  of  Wyoming.  Many  of  the  places  he  describes  are  still 
unchanged,  many  of  the  people  mentioned  have  relatives  living  in 
the  same  areas.  From  his  trips  to  the  west  beginning  in  1885  he 
found  the  source  material  for  his  western  stories  and  in  particular 
THE  VIRGINIAN. 

Don't  skip  the  Preface  written  by  Fanny  Kemble  West.  It  is  a 
personal  enchanting,  interesting  account  of  the  trips  Owen  Wister 
took  with  his  family  in  later  years  to  Yellowstone  Park  by  wagon, 
to  the  Y  B  dude  ranch  near  Jackson,  Wyoming  and  to  his  own 
ranch  near  there. 

The  Introduction  must  also  be  read,  for  without  it  you  will  never 
fully  appreciate  what  a  remarkable  achievement  the  writing  of 
THE  VIRGINIAN  was.  Owen  Wister's  background,  education, 
his  friends  and  associates  prepared  him  for  an  entirely  different 
role  in  life  than  that  of  creating  the  heroic  cowboy. 

I  had  visited  with  a  number  of  old  timers  in  the  Wind  River 
valley  who  had  met  or  knew  Owen  Wister  when  he  came  through. 
They  describe  him  as  handsome,  well  educated  and  distant  or 
aloof.  They  felt  he  would  rather  watch  than  participate.  For 
this  we  can  be  thankful,  for  it  was  his  intelligent,  objective  observa- 
tions that  permitted  him  to  record  accurately  the  frontier  west 
as  it  was  and  to  create  the  present  day  concept  of  a  cowboy  as 
we  know  him  today  and  is  being  played  by  every  small  boy  dressed 
up  in  a  Roy  Rogers  outfit. 

Owen  Wister  loved  the  territory  of  Wyoming  the  first  time  he 
saw  it  and  each  subsequent  visit  made  him  love  it  more.  He 
worried  about  hordes  of  people  coming  to  the  state  and  destroying 
the  beautiful  spots.  He  worried  that  the  natural  bridges  near 
Dubois  would  "echo  with  the  howling  mob,  who  will  have  easy 
paths  made  for  them,  and  staircases,  and  elevators  perhaps  too. 
There  will  be  signposts  directing  you  to  Minerva  Terrace,  Calypso 
Garden,  Siren  Grotto,  for  every  unfortunate  ledge  and  point  will 
be  saddled  with  a  baleful  name  rotten  with  inappropriatness." 

This  has  still  proven  to  be  an  unfounded  worry  for  the  bridges 
are  still  as  inaccessible  today  as  they  were  then  and  still  uncluttered 
with  beer  cans,  cigarette  packages,  kleenex  and  paper  plates. 

When  he  first  saw  the  faUs  at  Yellowstone  he  was  deeply  moved. 
He  says,  "One  could  never  weary  looking  at  it.  Yet  the  tourists 
scuttle  through  here  like  mice."  He  would  be  in  full  accord  with 
the  native  Wyomingites  who  lament  today  when  tourists  travel 


BOOK   REVIEWS  229 

at  sixty  miles  an  hour  at  night  through  some  of  the  most  spec- 
tacular, scenic  parts  of  their  trips. 

The  three  people  who  have  read  the  book  to  date  in  my  orbit 
have  continually  stopped  to  find  some  one  to  share  it  with.  The 
illustrations  by  his  friend  Remington  are  excellent.  This  is  one 
book  that  should  be  found  in  every  library  of  Wyoming  so  that 
many  can  share  in  the  heritage  of  the  state  through  its  pages. 

Dubois,  Wyoming  Esther  Mockler 


Wyoming's  People.  By  Clarice  Whittenburg.  (Denver,  Colo.: 
Old  West  Publishing  Co.,  1958.  Illus.  by  Anne  C.  Mears. 
Index.    253  pp.     $4.25.) 

"Wyoming's  People"  makes  me  think  of  Orozco's  Frescoes  at 
Dartmouth.  He  painted  the  whole  epic  of  North  America  from 
the  migration  of  the  Aztecs  down  through  the  first  third  of  the 
Twentieth  Century  on  the  walls  of  that  library.  Clarice  Whitten- 
burg has  condensed  and  arranged  and  written  the  10,000  years  of 
Wyoming  history  from  the  time  of  the  atl-atl  to  that  of  inter- 
continental missiles. 

This  book  is  the  result  of  years  of  reading,  collecting,  studying, 
interviewing,  and  planning  along  with  the  experimental  teaching  of 
fourth  grade  children.  I  wish  such  a  concise  and  essential  history 
of  my  native  state  had  appeared  when  I  was  a  school  child  in  the 
middle  grades.  In  those  days  I  heard  references  to  the  Fetterman 
Road  and  the  Custer  Massacre  and  South  Pass  and  the  Ride  of 
Portugee  Phillips  and  the  Cheyenne  Deadwood  Stage  and  the 
Overland  Trail  and  the  Thornburg  Massacre  and  other  events  and 
wondered  about  them.  But  the  curiosity  of  a  ten  year  old  died 
down  before  I  found  out  about  more  than  a  few  of  them.  And, 
you  won't  believe  this,  but  I  got  several  of  them  straightened  out 
when  I  read  this  book. 

I  think  "Wyoming's  People"  will  set  any  child  or  older  person 
to  thinking  about  his  state,  from  what  has  happened  here  to  what 
may  happen  here.  Wyoming  is  just  at  the  beginning  of  its  real 
development.  It  has  untold  resources  to  be  discovered  and  used 
and  conserved  for  its  great  future  and  I  think  this  story  and  the  fine 
way  it  is  presented  will  have  a  lot  to  do  with  more  serious  and 
responsible  effort  in  its  development. 

Another  thing  I  think  is  important  is  that  this  book  will  show 
the  young  citizen  that  he  should  take  pains  to  write  down  any 
incident  he  hears  a  grandparent  or  other  old  timer  relating  so  that 
more  material  will  be  available  for  checking  and  verifying  and 
adding  to  the  completion  of  the  exciting  story.  Most  of  this 
history  happened  less  than  a  hundred  years  ago.  There  are  still 
those  aUve  who  took  a  vital  part  in  it.  I  regret  that  I  did  not 
realize  this  when  I  heard  my  mother  telling  about  the  experiences 


230  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

of  her  nine  uncles  in  the  Civil  war  as  she  listened  to  them  when 
they  came  home  to  Wisconsin,  or  the  stories  of  an  eighteen  year 
old  boy  from  New  York  (my  father)  as  he  weathered  the  hazards 
and  hardships  of  the  early  80s  out  here. 

I  hope  as  my  grandchildren  and  great-grandchild  read  "Wyo- 
ming's People"  they  will  think  and  take  hold  of  these  things  and 
someone  amongst  them  will  give  thoughtful  attention  to  the  fifty- 
eight  years  of  papers  left  by  their  great-grandfather  and  those  of 
fifty  years  left  by  their  grandfather. 

Laramie,  Wyoming  Evelyn  Corthell  Hill 

Buckskin  and  Spurs,  by  Glenn  Shirley.      (New  York:   Hastings 
House,  1958)  191  pp.    Bibliography,  illus.    $4.50) 

Television  and  radio  have  brought  to  life  the  thrilling  careers 
of  many  frontier  heroes  and  villains.  Young  and  old  watch  and 
listen  spellbound  as  Wild  Bill  Hickok  pulls  a  fast  gun  and  gets  his 
man  or  Billy,  the  Kid,  outshoots  the  law.  These  and  others  of 
their  kind  have  become  familiar  modern  day  characters  but  we 
need  to  remember  there  are  dozens  of  other  frontier  heroes  and 
rogues  who  are  unheard,  unsung,  not  known,  not  remembered. 
There  is  a  great  need  for  more  authentic  Western  Americana. 

Buckskin  and  Spurs  by  Glenn  Shirley  helps  to  fill  this  need  by 
recounting  the  lives  of  other  less  famous  but  equally  expert 
gunman  both  hero  and  villain  of  the  Wild  West  at  the  end  of  the 
past  century  and  the  beginning  of  the  present.  The  author  has 
drawn  vivid,  exciting  pen  sketches  of  men  who  lived  fast  and 
dangerously,  some  within  the  law,  some  without,  some  in  buckskin, 
some  in  spurs. 

The  stories  of  their  exciting  account  of  western  days  read  like 
some  far  fetched  inventions  of  the  dime  novel  era  but  are  all  true, 
based  on  solid  research  and  written  so  entertainingly  that  youth 
and  adult  can  enjoy  every  emotion  packed  page. 

There  is  Cap  Rossman  who  organized  the  Arizona  Rangers  and 
Thomas  J.  Smith,  known  as  "Bear  Creek"  Smith,  the  marshall  of 
Abilene,  who  carried  a  gun  but  used  it  not,  yet  had  the  cowboys 
checking  their  sixshooters  with  the  saloon  keeper.  Humor,  too, 
is  found  in  a  remarkable  horse-thief  who  was  finally  outwitted 
with  one  of  his  own  tricks  and  who  lived  to  become  a  respected 
citizen.  Henry  Starr,  an  angel  with  spurs,  temporarily  reformed 
but  who  reverted  to  type  and  held  up  a  bank  while  producing 
movies.  Bill  Pickett,  the  dare-devil  half-breed  cowboy  from  the 
famous  101  Ranch,  is  credited  with  inventing  "buUdogging"  a 
present  day  top  rodeo  attraction.  Bill  has  earned  a  place  in  the 
rodeo  "Hall  of  Fame."  These  with  others  equally  interesting  are 
to  be  found  in  this  swiftly  moving,  colorful  saga  of  the  old  West. 

Green  River,  Wyoming  ZiTA  Winter 


BOOK    REVIEWS  231 

The  Cattlemen:  From  the  Rio  Grande  Across  the  Far  Marias.  By 
Mari  Sandoz.  (New  York:  Hastings  House,  1958.  527  pp. 
$6.50.) 

In  the  "Foreword"  to  her  new  book,  The  Cattlemen,  Mari  San- 
doz has  written:  ".  .  .  to  most  of  the  world  the  cattleman  and  his 
cowboys,  good  and  bad,  are  not  known  for  the  significance  of  their 
beef  production.  Instead  they  are  the  dramatic,  the  romantic  fig- 
ures of  a  West,  a  Wild  West  that  is  largely  imaginary.  To  some 
of  the  rest  of  us,  however,  the  rancher  is  the  encompassing,  the 
continuous  and  enduring  symbol  of  modern  man  on  the  Great 
Plains."  This  book  is  his  story — an  old  story  in  many  of  its 
aspects,  perhaps,  but  probably  never  before  told  so  well;  for  not 
everyone  who  writes  about  the  West  or  cattlemen  or  cows  can 
write  so  well  as  Marie  Sandoz.  Other  writers  can  have  the  same 
material  with  which  she  works,  what  they  produce  may  be  as  his- 
torically accurate,  and  their  books  may  be  eminently  readable. 
But  Mari  Sandoz  has  something  in  all  her  books  about  the  West, 
and  in  her  novels  too,  which  sets  her  apart  from  most  other  writers. 
She  has  the  gift  of  transforming  her  material  into  something  that 
lives  because  she  penetrates  to  the  core  of  what  she  gathers  to- 
gether, sees  beyond  the  facts  to  what  they  really  represent,  and 
then  through  the  medium  of  an  amazingly  fine  and  moving  prose 
makes  the  men  or  the  age  (here  it  is  both)  live  again  as  they  lived 
before.  She  does  this  because  she  has  such  an  admirable  command 
of  language  and  such  a  phenomenal  ear  for  speech.  She  grasps 
always  the  importance  of  the  way  unaffected  men  express  them- 
selves— men  who  are  genuinely  concerned  with  living,  who  are  a 
vital  part  of  the  life  around  them.  No  amount  of  "hterary"  skill 
and  sophistication  can  express  what  they  were.  They  can  be 
described  only  in  their  own  terms  and  their  language  is  a  part  of 
the  process.  She  did  this  extraordinarily  well  in  her  books  about 
Indians  and  in  Old  Jules  and  she  has  done  it  again  here.  In  addi- 
tion, she  knows  both  instinctively  and  imaginatively  how  the  men 
she  writes  of  felt  and  thought  about  things.  Her  own  background 
accounts  for  part  of  it,  and  that,  combined  with  her  studied  use  of 
language  and  her  own  intense  feeling,  enables  her  to  do  more  in 
her  books  than  most  other  writers  have  been  able  to  do. 

Here,  her  subject  is  vast,  but  she  is  equal  to  it.  In  time  it  covers 
a  period  well  over  a  hundred  years  (in  Chapter  II  as  she  traces 
the  worship  of  the  cow  she  takes  us  back  even  to  pre-historic 
times);  in  area  it  takes  in  at  least  thirteen  states,  from  Mexico  to 
Canada  and  from  the  Mississippi  west  through  Wyoming  and  the 
states  north  and  south;  it  involves  hundreds  of  men,  great  and 
small,  a  gazetteer  of  towns  and  counties,  and,  of  course,  cattle  in 
tens  of  thousands.  On  the  surface  it  is  the  story  of  the  cattle 
industry  from  the  first  cattle  brought  in  by  the  Spanish  to  the 
latest  developments  in  breeds;  but  beyond  that  it  is  also  the  history 


232  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

of  the  vision  and  the  dedication  of  a  good  many  far-seeing  cattle- 
men, tied  up  to  be  sure  with  dollars  and  cents,  but  a  vision  and 
dedication  which  lived  on  when  at  times  the  dollars  and  cents 
ceased  to  exist,  and  a  vision  and  dedication  which  helped  to  form 
one  huge  section  of  this  nation.  The  book  is  inscribed,  as  she  puts 
it,  "To  the  old-time  hard  bitten,  hard-driven  cowmen,  the  greatest 
believers  in  next  year,  and  the  year  after  that."  She  has  lifted  the 
cattleman  out  of  the  lower,  un-glamorous  place  our  age  would  give 
him  and  has  made  of  him  instead  a  kind  of  epic  figure.  In  fact, 
the  book  itself  is  a  kind  of  epic.  It  is  not  written  in  hexameters 
and  has  no  Achilles  or  Hector  or  Troy,  but  Miss  Sandoz  might  well 
have  begun,  as  did  Homer,  with  "Sing,  Goddess."  The  ingredients 
are  all  here.  (It  might  be  added  as  a  minor  point  that  the  similes 
in  The  Cattlemen  are  not  as  extended  as  Homer's  but  they  are  as 
effective. ) 

In  such  a  subject  Miss  Sandoz  has  of  necessity  had  to  omit  a 
good  many  things,  interesting  and  significant  things  in  themselves 
no  doubt,  but  what  remains  is  a  fairly  complete  study  of  this  great 
era — especially  of  Wyoming's  contribution.  She  has  tried,  she 
says,  "through  a  few  selected  individuals  and  incidents,  to  show 
something  of  the  nature  and  the  contrasts,  something  of  the  con- 
flicts and  the  achievements  of  the  cattlemen  as  a  whole."  For  this 
reader,  at  least,  she  has  succeeded.  Her  choices  were  wise  and 
she  has  made  the  most  of  them. 

University  of  Wyoming  Richard  Mahan 

American  Knives.     By  Harold  L.   Peterson.      (N.   Y. :    Charles 
Scribner's  Sons,  1958.     Illus.     178  pp.     $4.95.) 

Harold  Peterson's  book,  although  not  a  complete  guide  for  knife 
collectors,  certainly  will  give  the  most  rabid  knife  enthusiast  a 
wonderful  source  of  written  material,  as  well  as  many  fine  photo- 
graphs of  American  knives  dating  from  before  Columbus'  discov- 
ery up  to  and  including  modern-day  cutlery. 

This  being  the  first  book  to  be  published  on  American  knives, 
it  deserves  much  credit.  All  chapters  are  filled  with  excellent 
information  which  required  much  research  on  the  author's  part. 

A  study  of  the  Bowie  knife  and  later  variations  called  "Trappers 
Knives,"  plus  some  of  our  Indian  works,  will  be  of  interest  to  all 
who  enjoy  Western  Americana. 

Mr.  Peterson  has  also  covered  very  completely  the  cutlery  de- 
veloped for  use  by  our  Armed  Forces  from  World  War  I  up  to 
and  including  our  modern-day  armies. 

His  chapters  on  the  manufacturing,  care  and  upkeep  of  all  forms 
of  steel  knives  are  a  valuable  source  of  information  to  all  who  are 
interested  in  knives  of  any  size  or  description. 

Cheyenne,  Wyoming  W.  R.  Schroll 


BOOK    REVIEWS  233 

The  Bannock  of  Idaho,  by  Brigham  D.  Madsen.     (Caldwell:  The 
Caxton  Printers,  ltd.,  1958.    illus.     382  pp.     $5.00.) 

Brigham  Madsen's  The  Bannock  of  Idaho  is  the  history  of  a 
small  band  of  warriors  and  buffalo  hunters  who  lived  among  the 
Shoshoni  Indians  in  Central  Idaho.  Because  of  the  poverty  of 
their  land,  they  led  a  nomadic  existence,  hunting  buffalo  in  Wyo- 
ming and  Montana  in  the  fall,  fishing  in  the  Snake  River  in  the 
spring,  and  gathering  Camas  Roots  in  the  summer.  Their  chief 
amusements  were  horse-stealing  and  making  raids  upon  their  tra- 
ditional enemies,  the  Blackfeet. 

The  advent  of  the  white  man  rudely  changed  this  idyllic  way  of 
life.  After  the  fur  traders  and  the  mountain  men,  came  the  over- 
land travelers  bound  for  Oregon  and  California.  The  Shoshoni 
were  peaceful  and  friendly  to  the  whites,  but  the  Bannock,  proud 
and  haughty,  retaliated  by  attacks  upon  the  wagon  trains  and  white 
settlements.  Matters  were  brought  to  a  head  by  a  series  of  mas- 
sacres in  the  early  1860's  and  the  mihtary  was  called  in.  On 
January  29,  1863,  some  California  Volunteers  under  Colonel  Pat- 
rick E.  Connor  attacked  a  force  of  Shoshoni  and  Bannock  en- 
trenched in  a  ravine  on  Bear  River  in  southern  Idaho.  After  a 
fierce  fight  lasting  four  hours,  the  soldiers  flanked  the  Indians  out 
of  the  ravine  and  killed  many  of  them  as  they  sought  to  escape. 

On  October  14,  1863,  the  Bannock  Chiefs,  reaUzing  the  futility 
of  further  resistance,  entered  into  the  Treaty  of  Soda  Springs  with 
the  Government.  By  its  terms,  the  Indians  were  to  stay  on  the 
Fort  Hall  Reservation  and  receive  sufficient  food  and  clothing  from 
the  Government  in  return  for  their  promise  not  to  molest  the 
whites.  By  this  time  the  tribe  had  declined  from  2000  men, 
women  and  children,  to  about  1000.  Since  the  Government  failed 
to  supply  enough  annuity  goods,  the  Bannock  continued  their 
seasonal  wanderings  to  obtain  food. 

Discontent  was  stirred  up  in  1878  by  the  uprising  of  Chief 
Joseph  and  his  Nez  Perce.  The  Bannock  again  took  the  warpath, 
but  were  defeated  and  scattered  by  the  army  in  a  series  of  engage- 
ments in  August  and  September  of  that  year. 

Weakened  by  this  loss,  the  tribe  was  at  the  mercy  of  its  enemies. 
White  settlers  encroached  on  the  reservation.  A  strip  of  land  was 
taken  by  the  Utah  Northern  Railroad.  The  right  to  hunt  buffalo 
was  lost.  Deprived  of  their  food  supply,  the  Indians  had  to  turn 
to  agriculture.  The  transition  was  slow  and  painful.  The  end  of 
the  century  found  the  Bannock  tamed  at  last  and  confined  to  the 
Fort  Hall  Reservation.  The  tribe  now  numbered  only  450  and 
was  so  intermingled  with  the  Shoshoni  that  it  had  lost  its  tribal 
entity. 

Mr.  Madsen  has  combined  this  material  in  a  scholarly  work,  well 
documented  with  footnotes  referring  to  a  wide  variety  of  primary 
sources.    The  material,  which  is  the  product  of  a  vast  amount  of 


234  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

research,  is  presented  factually  and  from  an  objective  viewpoint. 
The  volume  is  well  illustrated  with  the  graphic  drawings  of  M.  D. 
Stewart.  A  voluminous  bibliography,  an  adequate  index,  and  an 
Appendix  containing  the  main  treaties  and  Acts  of  Congress  com- 
plete the  history  of  this  obscure  tribe. 

Windsor,  Colorado  J.  W.  Vaughn 


The  Uncovered  Wagon  by  Mae  Urbanek  as  told  by  Jerry  Urbanek. 
(Sage  Books.  Alan  Swallow  Publisher,  Denver.  1958.  lUus. 
210  pp.    $3.50) 

This  is  an  interesting  account  of  the  trip  Jerry  Urbanek  took  by 
wagon  in  1931,  carrying  some  old  machinery  from  North  Dakota 
through  the  Black  Hills  and  northeast  Wyoming  to  his  ranch  in 
the  Lusk  neighborhood. 

The  Uncovered  Wagon  is  illustrated  by  photos  and  also  by 
clever  drawings  by  Elsie  Christian. 

One  of  the  better  realistic  bits  is  the  description  of  Wyoming 
wind  and  Mae  Urbanek's  poem  "I  Am  The  Wind." 

Reading  this  book  is  a  pleasant  antidote  for  the  violence  of  many 
television  shows.  It  should  also  have  definite  appeal  for  those 
living  along  the  route  Mr.  Urbanek  travelled  from  Hellinger,  North 
Dakota,  360  miles  south  to  Lusk,  Wyoming,  and  the  ranch  where 
his  wife  Mae  awaited  him. 

Wheatland,  Wyoming  Leora  Peters 


The  Great  Diamond  Hoax  and  Other  Stirring  Incidents  in  the  Life 
of  Asbury  Harpending.  (Norman:  The  University  of  Okla- 
homa Press,  1958.     illus.     240  pp.     $2.00) 

The  hackneyed  expression  "his  life  sounds  like  fiction"  is  over- 
worked these  days.  But  there  is  no  other  way  accurately  to 
describe  the  most  unbelievable  happenings  in  the  life  of  Asbury 
Harpending  as  he  recounts  them  in  this  book.  One  suspects, 
indeed,  that  Mr.  Harpending  was  considerably  impressed  with  his 
conduct  and  his  affairs,  as  there  is  a  notable  lack  of  modesty  in 
large  portions  of  this  autobiography. 

A  good  three-quarters  of  the  volume  is  concerned  with  Har- 
pending's  experiences  prior  to  the  Great  Diamond  Hoax.  He  tells 
of  his  purchase  of  a  shipment  of  oranges  and  bananas  from  the 
purser  of  a  ship  carrying  him  from  Panama  to  San  Francisco  in 
1857  for  $10  (with  only  $5  in  his  pocket  at  the  moment),  which 
he  sold  to  his  fellow  passengers  for  a  profit  of  $400.  This  stake 
he  mushroomed,  by  1860,  into  a  fortune  of  $250,000.  Harpen- 
ding recounts  his  part  in  the  conspiracy,  prior  to  the  Civil  War, 


BOOK    REVIEWS  235 

to  divert  the  allegiance  of  California  and  Nevada  to  the  Southern 
cause  (along  with  the  vast  wealth  of  the  two  states)  and  his  being 
convicted  of  treason  as  a  result.  He  speaks  in  terms  of  millions 
of  dollars  when  he  tells  about  discovering  fabulous  mines  in 
California  and  Nevada,  investing  in  choice  real  estate  in  San 
Francisco,  and  his  dealings  in  mining  investments  in  New  York 
and  London. 

But  the  cUmax  of  his  story  is  the  Diamond  Hoax  itself  and, 
curiously  enough,  in  his  discussion  of  the  events  connected  there- 
with is  a  distinct  shift  in  attitude  and  literary  style  with  Harpending 
apparently  going  to  considerable  trouble  to  de-emphasize  his  part 
in  the  matter.  It  is  this  change  of  style  that  suggests  the  author 
was  deliberately  "white-washing"  his  part  in  this  remarkable  affair. 

It  was  in  1871,  according  to  Harpending,  that  two  prospectors, 
Philip  Arnold  and  John  Stack,  appeared  in  San  Francisco  with  a 
sack  of  uncut  diamonds,  rubies,  emeralds,  and  other  precious 
stones,  with  a  story  of  having  found  a  large  deposit  of  gems  in  a 
desert  region  in  the  West.  Harpending  had  known  both  men 
before,  by  the  way,  in  California.  This  find  occasioned  a  tre- 
mendous interest  in  financial  circles  and  a  multi-million-dollar  cor- 
poration was  set  up  (with  Harpending  taking  a  goodly  block  of 
stock)  to  develop  the  deposit. 

Several  visits  were  made  to  the  area  by  Harpending  and  others 
interested  in  the  venture,  with  the  visitors  always  blindfolded. 
The  deposit  was  certified  as  genuine  by  no  less  a  personage  than 
Henry  Janin  who  was,  at  that  time,  the  most  prominent  mining 
engineer  in  the  world.  Tiffany  pronounced  the  stones  of  good 
quality  and  genuine.  Investors  mobbed  the  promoters  in  their 
efforts  to  invest  in  the  company,  to  share  in  the  expected  fabulous 
profits  to  come  from  development  of  the  deposit.  And  then,  the 
bubble  burst:  It  was  discovered  that  some  of  the  stones  in  the  field 
had  definite  and  distinct  marks  of  the  lapidary's  art  upon  them. 

Harpending  is  quite  vague  as  to  the  location  of  the  salted  dia- 
mond deposit.  His  only  direct  reference  in  his  book  to  the  location 
is  as  follows :  "We  left  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  at  a  small  station 
near  Rawlings  Springs"  and  after  "many  inconveniences"  arrived 
and  pitched  camp  on  the  "famous  diamond  fields"  on  the  fourth 
afternoon.  The  actual  location  of  the  diamond  fields  is  south  of 
the  Wyoming  border,  a  few  miles  east  of  the  site  of  the  Flaming 
Gorge  Dam. 

The  volume  is  illustrated  with  portraits  of  Harpending  and  other 
principals  in  the  "incidents",  and  has  a  forward  by  Glen  Dawson. 

Despite  the  changes  of  emphasis  and  varying  degrees  of  modesty 
on  the  part  of  the  author  and  notwithstanding  a  rather  trying 
vagueness  here  and  there,  the  book  is  good  reading  and  a  good 
buy  for  anyone  interested  in  the  history  of  the  West. 

Green  River,  Wyoming  Vernon  K.  Hurd 


236  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Wyoming  Manhunt.     By  Allan  V.  Elston.      (New  York:   J.  B. 
Lippincott  Co.,  1958.     222  pp.     $2.95.) 

Wyoming  Manhunt  is  a  fast  moving  "western"  with  the  usual 
love  story  interlaced  with  a  cattleman,  gambler,  killer  theme.  The 
setting  is  a  framework  of  Carbon  County  history,  place  names,  and 
pioneer  families  that  make  the  narrative  as  alive  today  as  it  could 
have  been  78  years  ago. 

Wyoming  Manhunt  is  not  in  itself  a  history  and  much  of  the 
interesting  detail  of  factual  historical  incidents  is  omitted.  How- 
ever, those  who  are  familiar  with  the  locale  will  find  themselves 
reading  this  book  at  one  sitting.  Others  will  find  it  no  less  grip- 
ping and  the  knowledge  that  the  setting  and  many  of  the  characters 
are  right  from  the  pages  of  the  Carbon  County  Journal  of  the  days 
described  will  add  substantially  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  story. 
The  author  spent  many  hours  getting  authentic  background  detail 
from  the  bound  copies  of  the  Journal  in  the  county  museum. 

The  Sand  Creek  ranching  community  is  one  terminus  of  the 
suspenseful  races  of  the  story  and  the  frontier  railroad  village  of 
Rawlins  is  the  other.  A  cowboy  bent  on  avenging  the  killer  of  his 
father,  a  killer  after  the  illicit  gold  of  others  fleeing  the  law,  a 
handsome  hero  of  a  deputy  sheriff,  and  several  wholesome  young 
ladies  are  the  principle  characters.  The  lead  characters  are 
entirely  fictional  according  to  the  author. 

Names  well  known  in  Carbon  County  history  are  Tom  Sun, 
the  Rankin  brothers,  Ed  Widdowfield  and  Doctor  Maghee.  Action 
settings  such  as  the  Larry  Hayes  Hotel,  the  jail  at  Fourth  and 
Cedar,  Bell  Springs  stage  station,  Ferris,  and  others  contribute  to 
the  realism  of  the  book. 

Wyoming  Manhunt  is  light  reading,  not  a  historical  volume  in 
any  sense,  but  good  entertainment. 

Rawlins,  Wyoming  Neal  E.  Miller 


Life  and  Adventures  of  Frank  Grouard.  By  Joe  DeBarthe.  Edited 
by  Edgar  I.  Stewart  (Norman:  University  of  Oklahoma  Press, 
1958.     268  pp.     Intro.     Illus.     $5.00) 

In  this  handsome  volume  the  University  of  Oklahoma  Press  has 
brought  out  a  new  edition  of  a  work  first  published  in  1894,  and 
now  very  scarce.  Edgar  I.  Stewart,  author  of  the  first-rate  volume 
Custer's  Luck,  has  supplied  a  ten-page  Introduction  and  172  foot- 
notes, besides  other  editorial  services. 

Frank  Grouard  has  a  formidable  reputation  as  a  scout,  which 
is  based  more  on  what  others  said  of  him  than  on  what  he  told 
newspaperman  DeBarthe.  For  example,  Jim  Gatchell  considered 
him  "the  most  valuable  scout  connected  with  the  U.S.  Army." 


BOOK    REVIEWS  237 

And  General  Crook  is  reported  to  have  said  that  he  would  rather 
lose  one-third  of  his  command  than  part  with  Grouard. 

After  living  among  the  Sioux  for  seven  years  Grouard  went  to 
work  for  Crook  in  1876  and  was  with  him  at  the  Rosebud  and  Red 
Fork  battles  and  with  Sibley  on  the  famous  Sibley  scout. 

It  has  long  been  recognized  that  Grouard's  story  as  published 
by  DeBarthe  is  unreliable.  For  example,  W.  J.  Ghent  in  dealing 
with  Grouard  in  the  Dictionary  of  American  Biography  describes 
his  account  as  "a  tale  in  which  fact  is  liberally  intermixed  with 
highly  wrought  fiction."  Although  Stewart  rates  the  story  "largely 
authentic"  he  admits  that  there  are  "exaggerations,  omissions,  and 
rationalizations."  Stewart  does  not  know  whether  to  blame  Grou- 
ard, DeBarthe  or  both. 

The  new  edition  is  not  a  reproduction  of  the  original  because  a 
good  bit  has  been  omitted.  Stewart  explains:  "The  task  of  editing 
has  been  largely  one  of  condensation  and  identification.  .  .  .  Mr. 
DeBarthe  'padded"  and  enlarged  his  account  with  the  interpolation 
of  a  great  deal  of  material  which  is  not  essential  to  the  story.  Some 
of  this  material,  especially  the  long  quotations  from  other  books, 
has  been  eliminated.  ..." 

Most  readers  will  find  this  a  very  interesting  book,  no  matter 
how  much  of  it  they  decide  to  discount.  Stewart's  Introduction 
and  footnotes  make  the  present  volume  more  valuable  than  the 
original  for  the  general  reader.  The  editor  has  done  a  painstaking 
job,  and  errors  are  rare. 

In  view  of  Stewart's  fine  contributions  this  reviewer  hesitates 
to  express  a  regret  that  there  is  not  included  in  the  Introduction  a 
paragraph  or  two  telling  something  about  DeBarthe.  He  was  one 
of  several  remarkable  pioneer  editors  in  Wyoming.  He  worked 
briefly  in  Lander,  Bonanza,  Buffalo,  and  Sheridan,  1888-1894. 
For  a  biographical  sketch  of  DeBarthe  one  must  turn  to  Beach, 
Women  of  Wyoming,  vol.  2,  where  information  about  Joe  is  in- 
cluded with  the  biography  of  Mrs.  DeBarthe. 

University  of  Wyoming  T.  A.  Larson 


Tensleep  and  No  Rest.    By  Jack  R.  Gage.     (Casper,  Wyo. :  Prairie 
Publishing  Co.,  1958.    Illus.    226  pp.    $3.95.)     •     ' 

The  last  cattle-sheep  war  which  culminated  in  violence  in  Wyo- 
ming took  place  in  the  Big  Horn  Basin  on  April  2,  1909.  The 
event  took  place  on  Spring  Creek  near  Tensleep  and  is  known  both 
as  the  "Tensleep  Raid"  and  the  "Spring  Creek  Raid." 

Jack  Gage  has  gathered,  over  a  number  of  years,  the  factual 
history  of  the  raid  from  some  of  the  participants,  whom  he  has 
known  since  his  days  as  a  youth  in  Worland,  and  from  the  records 
of  the  trial.     His  account  of  the  raid,  based  on  these  sources, 


238  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

deviates  from  a  history  of  the  raid  into  the  realm  of  the  historical 
novel  by  virtue  of  the  fact  that  he  has  fictionalized  two  of  the 
names  of  the  raiders  and  he  has  added  extraneous  material  on  the 
life  of  the  time  and  conversation  which  is  of  his  authoriship  and 
not  that  of  the  characters.  Even  the  romance  injected  into  the 
story  has  a  factual  background. 

The  sidelights  on  life  of  the  period  interspersed  throughout  the 
book  add  a  great  deal  to  the  story.  The  description  of  Worland 
in  1909,  the  manner  in  which  people  lived  in  a  small  Wyoming 
town  of  that  day,  the  customs  and  conveniences  (and  inconven- 
iences) which  they  enjoyed  and  endured  are  given  in  a  factual  and 
humorous  manner.  The  description  of  a  sheep  camp  and  the 
ingenuity  of  the  herder  to  make  a  lonely  life  easier  gives  the 
reader  a  good  picture  of  the  life  of  a  herder. 

This  book  is  interesting  reading.  This  reviewer  hopes  that  more 
Wyoming  people  will  follow  Mr.  Gage  and  write  good  historical 
novels  of  Western  life  as  it  actually  was,  correcting  the  picture  of 
the  West  depicted  in  the  usual  "western"  story. 

A  number  of  fine  illustrations  portray  leading  persons  and  sites 
involved  in  the  story. 

Cheyenne  Lola  M.  Homsher 


Contributors 


Edv^^ard.O.  Parry  of  Shaker  Heights,  Ohio,  is  a  grandson  of 
Dr.  Henry  C.  Parry.  He  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  son  of 
Judge  and  Mrs.  George  G.  Parry.  Mr.  Parry  graduated  from  the 
Germantown  Academy  of  Philadelphia  and  Haverford  College, 
following  which  he  spent  a  year  at  the  Prince  Royal's  College  in 
Chiengma,  Siam  (Thailand)  as  basketball  and  track  coach.  More 
recently  he  has  been  associated  with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
and  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Railway,  and  is  at  present  staff  analyst 
with  the  East  Ohio  Gas  Company.  During  World  War  II  he 
served  in  2nd  Army  Headquarters,  1943-44,  and  was  Staff  Ser- 
geant at  General  MacArthur's  Headquarters  1945-46.  On  Feb.  7, 
1942  he  married  Virginia  Lloyd  and  they  have  three  sons,  Owen, 
David  and  William. 

John  E.  Gnam,  son  of  Edward  S.  and  Ruth  A.  Gnam,  was  born 
in  Cheyenne.  He  received  his  education  in  the  Cheyenne  schools 
and  graduated  from  the  University  of  Wyoming  in  1938.  From 
1938-42  he  worked  for  the  Stock  Growers  National  Bank  of 
Cheyenne.  Since  1942  he  has  been  employed  by  the  Mountain 
States  Telephone  Company  and  at  the  present  time  lives  in  Denver. 


CONTRIBUTORS  239 

In  1938  he  was  married  to  Helen  Christensen  and  they  have  one 
son,  Edward  C.  Gnam. 

Jesse  Wendell  Vaughn  of  Windsor,  Colorado,  was  born  in 
Dadeville,  Missouri,  the  son  of  Rose  and  Samuel  Jesse  Vaughn. 
He  received  his  education  in  DeKalb,  111.,  attended  the  University 
of  Illinois  and  University  of  Missouri,  from  which  he  received  an 
A.B.  degree  in  1925,  and  University  of  Denver  Law  School  from, 
which  he  received  his  L.L.B.  in  1929.  Since  that  time  he  has 
practiced  law  in  Windsor.  Mr.  Vaughn's  hobby  for  a  number  of 
years  has  been  the  study  of  Western  military  history.  He  has 
made  numerous  investigations  at  the  sites  of  military  and  Indian 
battlegrounds.  The  results  of  some  of  these  investigations  and 
thorough  research  culminated  in  the  book  With  Crook  at  the 
Rosebud  published  by  Stackpole  Company  in  1956. 

Loren  Clark  Bishop,  son  of  Spencer  A.  and  Edith  L.  Bishop, 
was  born  on  the  Bishop  ranch  on  LaPrele  Creek,  near  Ft.  Fetter- 
man  (then  in  Albany  County),  Wyoming,  March  4,  1885,  and 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Converse  County.  He  was 
County  Surveyor  of  Converse  County  from  1909-17,  Supt.  of 
Water  Division  No.  1  Wyoming  1920-34,  and  was  appointed  Wyo- 
ming State  Engineer  April  1,  1939,  a  position  he  held  until  his 
retirement  April  1,  1957.  He  holds  an  honorary  Degree  of  Doctor 
of  Laws  from  the  University  of  Wyoming,  1952,  being  honored 
for  his  outstanding  work  in  assisting  in  the  promotion  of  irrigation 
in  the  western  states.  For  this  work  he  also  received  a  citation 
from  the  Four  State  Irrigation  Council  in  1957.  He  is  a  member 
of  Sigma  Tau  Honorary  Engineering  Fraternity.  His  hobby  has 
been  the  collecting  of  Indian  artifacts,  the  study  and  investigations 
into  Wyoming  history,  and  the  sponsoring  of  a  mapping  program 
of  the  old  emigrant,  stage  and  express  and  freight  roads  across 
Wyoming.  He  has  led  a  series  of  treks  along  the  old  Oregon- 
Emigrant  Trail  over  a  period  of  years,  all  of  which  have  been 
appearing  in  the  Annals  of  Wyoming.  He  has  thoroughly  investi- 
gated, carefully  mapped  and  is  an  outstanding  authority  on  the 
early  Wyoming  trails.  In  1954  he  received  an  Honorary  Award 
from  the  Wyoming  State  Historical  Society  for  his  work  on  the 
trails. 


Edmund  Anthony  Bojarski  of  Falls  Church,  Virginia,  was 
born  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin.  He  received  his  B.  S.  Degree  in 
Education  in  1949  and  M.A.  in  American  Literature  in  1950 
from  the  University  of  Wisconsin  and  has  begun  work  toward  his 
Ph.D.  He  is  at  present  Foreign  Service  Officer  with  the  Depart- 
ment of  State.  During  World  War  II  he  served  with  the  tJ.  S. 
Army  and  was  stationed  in  England  in  1944-45.    As  a  hobby  he 


240  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

does  free  lance  fiction  writing,  translations,  and  collects  Polish 
and  Russian  works  on  Africa  and  on  Polish  and  Russian  travels  in 
America  before  1900.  He  is  the  author  of  "The  Poles  in  Africa, 
1517-1939",  "A  Note  on  the  Death  of  Dr.  Heinrich  Schliemann", 
"The  Last  of  the  Cannibals",  and  is  at  present  translating  Henryk 
Sienkiewicz's  "Letters  from  Africa". 

George  N.  Ostrom  of  Big  Horn,  Wyoming,  was  born  in 
Spencer,  Iowa,  the  son  of  Margaret  and  Peter  Dumont.  He  came 
to  Wyoming  in  April,  1913,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  in  the 
Sheridan  area.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Wyoming  National  Guard 
from  1914-1919,  served  in  the  Mexican  Campaign  in  1916,  and 
during  World  War  I  was  a  First  Sergeant  Bat.  E,  148th  Field 
Artillery,  serving  overseas  and  taking  part  in  five  major  campaigns. 
He  was  married  to  Gladys  Hann  November  23,  1926,  at  Buffalo, 
Wyoming,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  children:  George 
Ostrom,  Jr.,  Mary  Louise  Ostrom  Robbins  and  Patricia  Jean 
Ostrom  Kaufmann.  Mr.  Ostrom  has  worked  with  the  Bureau  of 
Entomology,  he  has  been  a  rancher,  and  he  is  at  the  present  time 
loan  inspector  for  the  First  National  Bank  of  Sheridan. 

Minnie  Presgrove  is  a  native  of  Lander,  Wyoming,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Mary  and  Alfred  Gilliland.  After  graduating  from  the 
Lander  High  School  she  was  married  to  W.  Louis  Presgrove 
Dec.  27,  1932,  and  since  that  time  they  have  lived  on  their  ranch 
at  Crowheart,  Wyoming.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  son,  Alfred 
L.  Presgrove.  Mrs.  Presgrove  received  her  B.  A.  Degree  in 
Education  from  the  University  of  Wyoming  in  1958.  She  taught 
in  Pavillion,  Wyoming,  from  1946-1957,  and  now  teaches  in  Riv- 
erton.  She  is  the  author  of  several  short  articles  which  have 
appeared  in  the  "Trailblazer." 

Mrs.  Thelma  Gatchell  Condit.  See  Annals  of  Wyoming, 
Vol.  29,  No.  1,  April  1957,  page  120. 

Louis  C.  Steege.  See  Annals  of  Wyoming,  Vol.  29,  No.  1, 
April  1957,  page  121. 


Qeneral  jHdc}c 


VOLUME  30 


Abernathy,  "Wild  Cat"  Sam,  177. 

Absarka  Creek,  210. 

Adams,  Harold,  214. 

Adams,  Ramon  F.,  The  Best  of  the 
American  Cowboy,  reviewed  by 
Robert  G.  Athearn,  112-113. 

Afton,  Wyo.,  146. 

Albin,  Wyo.,  telephone  service,  149. 

Allen,  Dr.  (dentist)   192. 

Allen,  Helen  Cody,  108,  109. 

Allen,  Henry,  Diary,   1853,  200. 

Allen,  Mrs.  Mary  Jester,  108,  109. 

Altrocchi,  Julia,  51. 

American  Bell  Company,  145. 

American  Knives,  by  H.  L.  Peter- 
son, reviewed  by  W.  R.  Schroll, 
232. 

American  Telephone  and  Telegraph 
Company,  149,  151. 

Anderson  Ranch  Crossing,  206. 

Angus,  Red,  187-188;  port.,  186. 

Annett,  C.  F.,  145-146. 

"Arapahoe"  Brown,  See  Brown,  An- 
drew (Arapahoe) 

Archaeological  bill,  Wyo.,  220. 

Archaeological  Research  in  Wyo- 
ming during  1958,  by  L.  C.  Steege, 
214-215. 

Artifacts,  See  Indians:  Artifacts. 

Arvada,  Wyo.,   185. 

Astor,  John  Jacob,  45. 

Athearn,  Robert  G.,  review  of  The 
Best  of  the  American  Cowboy,  by 
R.  F.  Adams,  112-113. 

Atkins,  Dave,  29. 

Atlantic  City,  Wyo.,  43,  48. 

Augsbach,  W.  E.,  6. 

Augur,  General  C.  C,  72,  79,  81, 
127,  142;  letters  by,  81-87. 

Austin,  Don  C,  149. 

The  Autobiography  of  the  West, 
compiled  by  Oscar  Lewis,  re- 
viewed by  T.  A.  Larson,  227. 


Babbitt,  A.  W.,  203,  204. 
Babcock,  "Bill",  32. 
Bad  Lands  [Wyo.]  search  for  water 
in,  1867,  140. 


Baggs,  Wyo.,  telephone  service,  146. 

Bagley,  Joseph  L.,  193;  explains 
Sublette  Cut-off,  198;  guide  for 
Oregon  Trail  Trek,  193-206;  in 
picture,  196;  reads  excerpts  from 
Bruff  Journals,  39-40,  203-205; 
relates  account  of  Pacific  Springs, 
195. 

Baker,  James  (Jim)  cabin,  221. 

Baker's  cabin  (road  house)  33. 

Bald  Mountain  Site,  artifacts  from, 
93-98;  excavation,  93-98;  geology, 
93;  topography,  93. 

Baldy,  E.,  209. 

Bancroft,  Hubert  H.,  208. 

Bannack,  U.  T.,  1867,  54,  55. 

The  Bannock,  of  Idaho,  by  B.  D. 
Madsen,  reviewed  by  J.  W. 
Vaughn,  233-234. 

Bar  C  ranch,  34. 

Barnard,  Lt.  P.  F.,  66. 

Barnum,  Thomas  Freeguard  (Tom) 
19-21,   177;  port.  20. 

Barnum,  Wyo.,  183;  description  of, 
18;  illus,  18;  postoffice  estab- 
lished,  17. 

Bartholomew,  Mrs.  Evelyn,  given 
award,   108. 

Basin,  Wyo.,  telephone  service,  146. 

Battle  Canyon,  Wyo.,  209. 

Battle  of  the  Little  Big  Horn,  1876, 
152. 

Bayer,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Albert,  50. 

Bear  River,  210. 

Bear  River  Mts.,  204. 

The  Beginning  of  a  Great  Emblem, 
by  George  N.  Ostrom,  163-167. 

Bell,  Alexander  Graham,,  145. 

Bell  Telephone  Company,  150. 

Bentzen,  "Chuck",  92. 

Bentzen,  Dr.  R.  C,  7,  214,  215;  The 
Little  Bald  Mountain  Site,  pre- 
liminary report,  91-98;  biog.  of, 
121. 

The  Best  of  the  American  Cowboy, 
by  R.  F.  Adams,  reviewed  by  R. 
G.  Athearn,  112-113. 

Big  Bear  River,  198. 

Big  Horn  Basin,  archaeological  sur- 
vey, 1958,  215. 

Big  Horn  National  Forest,  5. 

Big  Horn  sheep,  5. 


242 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


"Big    Nose    George",    See    Parrot, 

George  (Big  Nose  George) 
Big  Piney,  205,  207. 
Big  Piney,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 

148. 
Big  Piney  Telephone  Company,  148. 
Big  Sandy,  195,  198,  199,  200,  202; 

ferries,  206. 
Big  Sandy  Crossing,  198,   199. 
Big  Sandy  Station,  197. 
Bishop,  Loren  Clark,  91,    159,    162, 

198-200,  208,  221,  225;  biog.  of, 

239;  in  picture,  196,  226. 
Bishop,   Mrs.   Loren  Clark,    193;   in 

picture,      196;     reads     paper     on 

Names  Hill,  208-209. 
Bishop,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Spencer  A.,  239. 
Bitter  Creek,  Wyo.,    1867,   141. 
Black  Creek  (of  Green  River)    199. 
Black  Hills  (Laramie  range)  168;  in 

1867,   138. 
Black    Hills    Stage    Coach,    leaving 

Chugwater,  illus.  on  cover,  v.  30, 

no.  2. 
"Black  Jack"  Ketchum,  See  Ketch- 

um,  Tom  (Black  Jack) 
Black  Tooth  Mt.,  5. 
Blizzard,   1883,   195. 
Bloom,  Mrs.  John,  50. 
Blue  Creek  Ranch,   18. 
Bog  Creek,  195. 
Boise,  U.  T.,  54,  55. 
Bojarski,    Edmund    Anthony,    trans- 
lator. Quo  Vadis  in  Wyoming,  by 

Henry  Sienkiewicz,  168-170;  biog. 

of,  239-240. 
Bomber  Mt.,  9. 
Bonneville,  Capt.  B.  L.  E.,  46. 
Boodry,  David,  111. 
Bordeaux,  James,  153. 
Bordeaux,  Wyo.,  153. 
Bowen,  Hal,  108. 
Bowrer,  Earl  T.,  111. 
Boyack,  Col.  A.  R.,  37;  prayer  by, 

37-39;     reads     paper     on     Burnt 

Ranch,  43-44. 
Boyack,  Mrs.  A.  R.  (Hazel  Noble), 

Poem   to   the   Pioneer   Women,    a 

poem,     49;     prepares     paper     on 

Names  Hill,  208-209;  reads  paper 

on  South  Pass,  45-49. 
Bozeman  trail,  60. 
Bradley,   Col.   W.    R.,    37,    193;   in 

picture,  196. 
Bradley,  Mrs.  W.  R.,  in  picture,  196. 
Bragg,  Mrs.  W.  F.,  Sr.,   106. 
Branded  Peace,  a  poem,  by  Dick  J. 

Nelson,   12. 
Brewer,  Harrison,  108,  111. 
Brewer,  Mrs.  Harrison,  108,  111. 


Bridger,  James  (Jim)  46,  66,  87, 
199,  204,  '208;  name  at  Names 
Hill,  209. 

Bridger  trail,  60. 

Brophy,  Col.  John,  203. 

Brown,  Andrew  (Arapahoe),  35, 
172-192;  poetry  of,  184-185;  port. 
176. 

Brown,  Arapahoe,  See  Brown,  An- 
drew (Arapahoe) 

Brown,   Mrs.  Katie,    108,    109,    111. 

Bruff,  G.  J.,  diary  of,  39-40,  203- 
205. 

Bryan,  Wyo.,  207. 

Buckhorn  Canyon,  202. 

Bucking  Broncho  Brigade  from  Wy- 
oming,  166. 

Bucking  Broncho  emblem,  illus.  on 
equipment,  166;  origin  of,  163- 
167. 

Buckskin  and  Spurs,  by  Glenn  Shir- 
ley, reviewed  by  Zita  Winter,  230. 

Buffalo,  Wyo.,  6;  telephone  service, 
147,   150. 

Buford,  Wyo.,   169. 

"Bull"  teams",   129. 

Bull's  Bend   [Wyo]    154. 

Bull's  Bend-Cottonwood  Road,   154. 

Bullwhackers,  153,  155. 

Bunton,  Eric,  188-190. 

Burials,  Glendo  Dam  Reservoir 
area,   90-91. 

Burke,  Ida  Clara,  grave  of,  211. 

Burnt  Ranch,  Wyo.,  43-44,  50. 

"Butch  Cassidy",  See  Parker,  George 
Leroy  (Butch  Cassidy) 

Butler,  George,  92. 


Cademan,  W.  K.,  talks  on  Colter 
Stone,  109. 

Caldwell,  Celeste,  92. 

Calquist,  Linney,  92. 

Camas  prairie,  Ida.,  68,  81,  83. 

Camp  Carlin,  Wyo.,  152. 

Camp  Floyd,  Utah,  41. 

Camp  life,  1867,  with  railroad  com- 
mission, 139. 

Campbell,  Mr.,  grave  of,  211. 

Campbell,  Robert,  46. 

Carbon  County  Chapter,  (Wyo. 
State  Historical  Society)  gets 
award,  107. 

Carey,  William  B.,  149. 

Carissa  Mine,  South  Pass,  43. 

Carley,  Mrs.  D.  M.,  225. 


INDEX 


243 


Carley,  Maurine,  108,  111,  221,  223, 
224,  225;  compiler,  Oregon  Trek 
no.  6,  37-51,  Oregon  Trek  no.  7, 
193-213;  in  picture,   196,  226. 

Carlisle,  Mrs.  James  H.,  106,  225. 

Carpenter,  Jim,  37,  51,  52;  tells  of 
mining  days  &  Lewiston,  Wyo., 
43. 

Carr,  Glenn,  20. 

Carson,  Alta  May,  172. 

Carson,  Kit,  46. 

Carter,  James  Van  Allen  (interpre- 
ter) 72;  biog.  of,  87;  letters  by, 
87-88. 

Carter,  Judge  William  A.,  66,  87. 

Carver,  "Bill",  29. 

Case  Ferry,  206. 

Casper,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
146. 

Cassidy,  "Butch",  See  Parker,  George 
Leroy  (Butch  Cassidy) 

The  Cattlemen:  From  the  Rio 
Grande  Across  the  Far  Marias, 
by  Mari  Sandoz,  reviewed  by 
Richard  Mahan,  231-232. 

Cavy  (horses)  14. 

Chatterton,  Fenimore  C,  Yester- 
day's Wyoming,  reviewed  by  T. 
A.  Larson,  115-116. 

Chaworth,  Mr.  (correspondent)  port. 
130. 

Cheevers  Flats,  32,  33. 

Chestnut,  George,  92. 

Cheyenne,  Wyo.,  1867,  137,  popu- 
lation, 142;  in  1876,  168,  169; 
historical  marker,  dedication,  225, 
illus.  226;  telephone  service,  145, 
147,  149,  150. 

Cheyenne  Daily  Sun,  145. 

Cheyenne  Ki-Ann  Indians,  225. 

Cheyenne  Leader,  147. 

Cheyenne  Pass,  first  telephone  ser- 
vice over,  145. 

Christensen,  .  Helen  (Mrs.  John  E. 
Gnam)   239. 

Christopulos,  Adrianne,  in  picture, 
196. 

Christopulos,  Elaine,  in  picture,  196. 

Christopulos,  George,  37;  in  picture, 
196. 

Christopulos,  Mrs.  George,  in  pic- 
ture, 196. 

Christopulos,  Louis,  in  picture,  196. 

Church  Buttes,  Utah,  1867,  140, 
142. 

Clark,  Mr.,  201,  202. 

Clark,  William  V.,  196,  197. 

Clark's  Fork,  109. 

Clear  Creek  Pass,  187. 

Cloud  Peak,  5,  6,  9. 


Cloud  Peak  Wilderness  Area,  5,  7, 
9. 

Cody,  William  F.,  41. 

Cody,  Wyo.,  telephone  service,  146, 

150. 
Coffee  Creek,  155. 
Cole,  Jack  (surveyor)   159. 
Collett,  Mr.,  213. 
Colorado  City,  Colo.,  133. 
Colter,   John,   cachets,    106;   marker 

dedicated,  110;  pageant  on  Colter, 

110;    pamphlet    on,     107;    poem 

about,   11. 
Colter  Stone,  discussion  on,  109. 
Colter's   Hell,    11;   talk    on,   by    M. 

Mattes,  109. 
Colwell,  Capt.,  165. 
Commissary  Ridge,  210,  212. 
Condit,  Mrs.  Thelma  Gatchell,  106, 

108,     HI,    220,    223,    240;    The 

Hole-in-the-Wall,    pt.    5,    sect.    2, 

Outlaws  and  Rustlers,    17-36,   pt. 

5,  sect.  3,   175-192. 
Connelley,  Pat,  21. 
Corbin,  Dan,  214. 
Corum,  Alfred  A.,  grave  of,  211. 
Cottonwood  Creek,  153. 
Cowboy  Representative  or  Rep,  by 

Ed  Wright,  13-16. 
Cowboys,  habits  of,  13-16. 
Cowley,    Wyo.,    telephone    service, 

149. 
Crazy  Woman  Creek,  178. 
Crook,  Gen.  George,  153. 
Crow  Creek,  152;  in  1867,  135,  137, 

138,  139. 
Cruzan,  Bill,  29. 
Curry,  "Flat-Nose"  George,  17,  22, 

24,  27,  28,  29. 
Custard  Massacre  [Wyo.]  221. 
Custer,  General  George  Armstrong, 

152,    169. 
Custis,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Thad,  92. 


Daggett,  Harold,  149. 

Dalton,  Bob  (outlaw)   179-180. 

Daniel,  Wyo.,  205. 

Dayton,  Reed,  213. 

Deaver,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
149. 

DeBarthe,  Joe,  Life  and  Adventures 
of  Frank  Grouard,  edited  by  E.  I. 
Stewart,  reviewed  by  T.  A.  Lar- 
son, 236-237;  biog.  of,  237. 

Deer  Haven  Lodge,  8. 

Demand,  Lewis,  224. 


244 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Dempsey     Cut-off,     See     Dempsey 

Road. 
Dempsey  Road,  210,  211,  213. 
Denman,  Col.  H.  B.,  86. 
Devil's  Gate,  42. 

Diamond  Hoax,  book  on,  234-235. 
Dilts,  Fred,  159. 
Dinwoody    Petroglyphs,    slides    on, 

106. 
"Dirty  Jim",   23. 

Dixon,  Wyo.,  telephone  service,  146. 
Dodge,    Gen.    Grenville    M.,     127, 

135-136,  141,  142;  port.  130. 
Dominick,   Dr.   DeWitt,   read  script 

of    Colter    pageant,     110;    signed 

lease  for  Rawlins  Plaques,  110. 
Dominick,  Mrs.  DeWitt,  108,  111. 
Doty,    Gov.    James    Duane    (Utah) 

56,  59,  63,  84,  85. 
Dougherty,  Al  (Peg)   197. 
Dougherty,  James,  149. 
Douglas,    Wyo.,    telephone    service, 

146,  150. 
Dry  Creek,    199. 
Dry     Medicine     Creek,     origin     of 

name,  7. 
Dry  Sandy,   198,  201. 
Dry  Sandy  Stage  Station,  195. 
Duff,   Mr.,  port.    130. 
Duguid,  James,  214. 
Dumont,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Peter,  240. 
Duncan,  Private,   158. 
Duncan,  Mrs.  Ada,  222. 
Dunn,  Capt.,  port.   130. 
Durnford,  Mrs.  Paula,  225. 


Early  History  of  the  Telephone  in 
Wyoming,  by  John  E.  Gnam, 
145-151. 

Eklund,  R.  A.,  in  picture,   196. 

Elk  Mt.  Wyo.,  in  1867,  138. 

Elkhorn.  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
148. 

Elkhorn  Creek,   153,   155,   159. 

Elston,  Allan  V.,  Wyoming  Man- 
hunt, reviewed  by  Neal  E.  Miller, 
236. 

Emerson,  Dr.  Paul  W.,  225. 

Emigrant  Road,  See  Old  Emigrant 
Road;  Oregon  Trail. 

Emigrant  Spring,  Wyo.,  211. 

Emigrant  Springs,  209,  210. 

Encampment,  Wyo.,  telephone  ser- 
vice, 146,  150. 

Esmay,  Gen.  R.  L.,  37. 

Evanston,  Wyo.,  first  telephone,  146. 


Farlow,  Jules,    193,  222,  223,   224; 
tells  of  1883  blizzard,   195. 

Farson,  Wyo.,  200. 

"Feast  in  the  Wilderness"  43,  47,  52. 

Felter,  Joe,  171-173. 

Ferries,  Green  River,  205-207. 

Fetterman    Massacre    Monument, 

221. 
"Fight    at     Platte    Bridge    Station" 

pageant,  given  award,  107. 
Fischer,  Charles,  35. 
Fish  Creek,  196. 
Fitzpatrick,  Thomas,  46. 
"Flat-Nose"     George     Curry,     See 

Curry,   "Flat-Nose"  George 
Flick  and  Halter,  195. 
Florence  Pass,  6,  8,  9. 
Fontenelle  Creek,  206,  209. 
Ford,  H.  W.,  90,  91. 
Fords,  Green  River,  205-207. 
Foreman,  Mary  Douglass  and  Fun- 

daburk,    E.    L.,    Sun    Circles   and 

Human  Hands,  reviewed  by  Wil- 
liam Mulloy,  117-118. 
Fort    Bridger,     141,    207;    illus.    in 

1868,  54. 
Fort    Bridger    Indian    Agency,    in 

1867,  59.    See  Also  Washakie  and 

the  Shoshoni. 
Fort  Bridger  Road,  210. 
Fort  Fetterman,  142,  152,  153,  157, 

221. 
Fort  Laramie,  46,   152,   153,  201. 
Fort  Laramie  Road,  157. 
Fort  Phil  Kearny,  60,  65,  221. 
Fort  Reno,  60. 
Fort   D.   A.   Russell,   in    1867,    142, 

153. 
Fort  Sanders,   138. 
Fort    Sedgwick,    Colo.,     127,     128; 

fording  river  near,  illus.  136;  plan 

of  in    1867,    131;   railroad  tracks 

near,  133. 
Fort  C.  F.  Smith,  60,  6-5.  142. 
Foy,  Ed,  159. 
Fraker,  George,  188. 
Fraker,  Harmon,  188. 
Franks,    John   B.,    193;    in   picture, 

196. 
Franks,  Mrs.  J.  B.,  in  picture,  196. 
Franks,  J.  B.  Jr.,  in  picture,  196. 
Eraser,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Clare,  223. 
Freighting,  in  1876,  152-162. 
Fremont,  Gen.  John  C,    171,    172, 

173;  letter  by,  173-174. 
Fremont  County,  naming  of,  173. 
Fremont  Creek,  171. 
Fremont  Lake,  171. 
Fremont  Peak,  171;  climbed,   172. 


INDEX 


245 


French  Creek  (in  Wyo.)  181,  185, 
189,  190,  192. 

Fritzjofson,  Peter,  106. 

Fritzjofson,  Mrs.  Sarah,  108. 

From  Wilderness  to  Statehood,  a 
History  of  Montana,  1805-1900, 
by  J.  M.  Hamilton,  reviewed  by 
Mrs.  Lois  B.  Payson,  114-115. 

Frost,  Ned,  108,  109,  111. 

Fuller,  E.  O.,  106. 

Fuller,  Raymond,  51. 

Fundaburk,  Emma  Lila  and  Fore- 
man, M.  D.,  Sun  Circles  and  Hu- 
man Hands,  reviewed  by  William 
Mulloy,  117-118. 


Gage,  Jack  R.,  receives  historical 
award,  223;  Tensleep  and  No 
Rest,  reviewed  by  Lola  M.  Hom- 
sher,  237-238. 

Garland,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
148,    150. 

Gebhard,  David,  215. 

Geiger  and  Bryarly,  Diary,  1849, 
199. 

Gettys,  Claude,  221. 

Gibb,  Ed,  221. 

Gillette,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
148,   149. 

Gilliland,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Alfred,  240. 

Gilmore,  Robert  (and  wife)  grave 
of,  204. 

Glendo,  Wyo.,  telephone  services, 
150,  152. 

Glendo  Reservoir  Area,  90-91. 

Glendo  sites,  92,  214,  220. 

Glenrock,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
150. 

Gnam,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Edward  S.,  238. 

Gnam,  John  E.,  Early  History  of  the 
Telephone  in  Wyoming,  145-151; 
biog.  of,  238. 

Gold  mines,  early,  in  Wyo.,  43. 

Gordon,  Crow,  31. 

Graham,  Fred,  51. 

Grand  Teton,  172. 

Granite  Canon,  Wyo.,  169. 

Graves  of,  Burke,  Ida  Clara,  211; 
Campbell,  Mr.,  211;  Corum,  Al- 
fred A.,  211;  Gilmore,  Robert 
(and  wife)  204;  Hill,  Nancy,  211; 
Westfall  family  (Elizabeth,  James, 
Jim,  Sammy,  Willie)  211. 

The  Great  Diamond  Hoax,  by  As- 
bury  Harpending,  reviewed  by  V. 
K.  Hurd,  234-235. 

Green  River,  170,  195,  198,  205; 
ferries,  205-207. 


Green  River,  Wyo.,  Lincoln  High 
School  receives  historical  award, 
224;  telephone  service,  150. 

Greenwood,  Caleb,  198,  206. 

Greenwood  Cut-off,  203,  205. 

Greenwood  Road,  See  Greenwood 
Cut-off. 

Gregory,  Leonard,  gets  scholarship, 
220. 

Grey,  Don,  215. 

Greybull,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
150. 

Griffin,  Pete,  30. 

Gros  Ventre  Limestone  formation, 
93. 

Grouard,  Frank,  book  on,  236-237. 

Groves,  Mr.,  157. 

Guns,  used  in  1876,  153,  156. 


Hadsell,  Kleber,  222. 

Halabaugh,  Mr.,  188-190,  192. 

Halter  and  FHck,  195. 

Hamilton,  James  McClellan,  From 
Wilderness  to  Statehood,  a  His- 
tory of  Montana,  1805-1900,  re- 
viewed by  Mrs.  Lois  B.  Payson, 
114-115. 

Hamilton,  Wyo.,  43. 

Ham's  Fork,  199,  210,  212. 

Ham's  Fork  Crossing,  210. 

Handcart  Emigration,  41-42. 

Hann,  Gladys,  (Mrs.  G.  N.  Ostrom) 
240. 

Hanton,  Capt.,  158. 

Harney,  Gen.  William  S.,  65,  72, 
135. 

Harpending,  Asbury,  The  Great 
Diamond  Hoax,  reviewed  by  V. 
K.  Hurd,  234-235. 

Harris,  Burton,  talks  on  Colter 
Stone,  109. 

Harris,  Moses,  50. 

Hart,  Capt.  V.  K.,  opens  Plains 
Hotel,  147. 

Haun,  Henry  Peter,  203. 

Hayden,  Dudley,  105. 

Haystack  Butte,  200. 

Hazard,  Wyo.,  169. 

Head,  F.  H.  (Indian  Supt.)  59,  63, 
85,  88;  letters  to,  53-55,  56-58, 
62-63,  66,  73-77,  87-88;  letters 
by,  55-56,  59-62,  63-65,  77-80. 

Heathcote,  Leslie,  214. 

Hebard,  Grace  R.„  41. 

Hecht,  Emil,  185. 

The  Heck  Reel  Wagon  Burning,  by 
J.  W.  Vaughn  and  L.  C.  Bishop, 
152-162;  nlap  of  location,  154. 


246 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


IlL-rulcrsoii,  J.  B.,  65. 

Ilciulcison,  Paul,  prepared  paper  on 

(irccii  Kiver  ferries.  205-207. 
IlihluMi,  Miss,  51. 
Ilidilcn      I  epee     (reek,     origin     of 

name.  7. 
IliUleliraiul,   Ann,  in  pieliue,    196. 
Hiklebrand,    IM/abelli,    h).^;    in    pie- 
line,    l')6. 
Ilildehranti,  I'leiidie,  in  pietnre,   1^6. 
Ilikleliraiui,  (ieneva,  in  pieture,   196. 
lliUlehrand,   lyle.  .^7.    193.  205-207; 

guiile,    Oregon     Trail     Trek,    212- 

213;   in   pielnie,    196. 
Hill,     I'.velyn     Corlhell,     review     of 

Wvoniinu's     People,     by     Clarice 

Whillenburg,  229-230. 
Hill.  N.  P.,  55. 
Hill.   Naney,   21  1. 
liilnian.   Mr.  &.   Mrs.  Fred,  92. 
liilinan,  Mr.  &   Mrs.  /.ane,  92. 
liislorical  markers,  near  Cody,  i.W<\- 

iealeil,    110;  Cheyenne,   dediealed. 

225.  ilkis.  226. 
Hislorieal  sites  snrvev.  221. 
Hillell,  .lohn  S.,  20S. 
Ilolbrook.    .Stewart    H.,    ihe    Rocky 

Moiintdiii     Rrvoliition.     reviewed 

by  H.  .1.  Swimiey.   118-119. 
Ilole-in-the-Wall    Ciang,     17-36. 
The  Holc-in-tlic-nall.  pt.  5.  sect.  2. 

Oiithiws  and  Rustlers,  by  Thelma 

(iatehell     (\>ndit,      17-36;     pi.     5, 

sect.   3.    175-192. 
Homsher.    lola    M..    103.    104.    105. 

107,     108,    221,    224;    review    of 

Tensleep  ami  No  Rest,  by  .lack  R. 

(Jage.  237-238;  and  M.  1  .  Pence, 

(ilioxt   I'owns  of   Wvoinini;.   given 

award.    108. 
Hold.   Mrs.  Charles.    106. 
Horn.    Maj.    (ilaun.    Henry    Peter) 

203. 
I  lorn.   I  om.  1  3. 
lloisc  stealing.   IS8-I89. 
Honk.  Id.  33. 
Howard.  I'd.  28. 
Howard.  Mrs.  John  W..  225. 
Howard.   Robert   W.,  editor  of  This 

is  the  West,  reviewed  by  Mary  R. 

Rogers.   113-1  14. 
limit.    Or.    Fester   C..   gives   to  state 

copvright     to     bucking     broncho, 

166-167. 

Hunt.   Wilson    Price,  45. 
Hunt   Mountain.  93. 
Hunter  Ranger  Station.  6,  7. 
Hunton.  .lohn,   153,  157. 


Hurd,  Vernon  K.,  220,  222;  review 
of  The  Cheat  l'>iaiiioiul  Hoax,  by 
Asbury  Harpending,  234-235. 

Huson,    Dr.    Ixlward    W.,    biog.    of, 

178-179. 
Huson,  Harry,   179. 
Hunton,  Joseph  M.,  50-51. 
Hyattville,  Wyo.,  6,  7. 
Hynds,    Harry,   opens    Plains  Hotel, 

147. 


Ice  Slough,  Wyo.,  37,  39. 
Iiulependenee  Rock,  208. 
Indian    Peace   Commission,    65;    let- 
ters to.  81-87. 
I' he   Indian    Tipi,    its   History,    Con- 
strnclion    and    U,se,    by     R.    &    G. 
Faubin,    reviewed    by    F.    H.    Sin- 
clair,   1  19-120. 
Indians: 

annuities,  56,  85. 
appropriations  for  agency,  80. 
artifacts,  amulets,  99;  ceremonial 
and  problematical,  99-101;  dis- 
coidals,  100-101;  effigies,  99- 
100;  gorgets,  99;  pendants,  99; 
perforated  disks,  101;  projectile 
points,  217-218,  edges,  218, 
non  -  stemmed,  217,  notched, 
217,  shouldered,  217;  stemmed. 
217.  typed  used  by  Plains  In- 
dians, 217-218;  tomahawks, 
215-216;  war  clubs.  215-217. 
cattle,  owned  by,  79.  80. 
character  of.  131,  142. 
Chiefs  and  individuals:  Antero, 
53;  A-wite-etse,  72;  Had  Hand, 
86;  Ha/il  (Ba/eel)  72;  Big 
Foot.  86;  C\io-sha-gan.  72;  Go- 
sho.  85;  Iron  Shell.  86;  Nar- 
kok.  72;  Pan-sook-a-motse.  72; 
Pan-to-she-ga.  72;  Red  Bead 
(and  family)  133;  Red  Cloud, 
65,  75,  leads  attack  against 
Washakie  in  1868,  75;  Spotted 
rail,  86;  Swift  Bear,  86;  Ta- 
boonsheya,  72;  Taghee,  (Tag- 
gee,  Taggie,  Tahgay)  54,  72, 
74;  claims  for  certain  lands 
made  for  Bannocks,  81,  83; 
Fav-to-ba,  72;  Frop-se-po-wot, 
72;"  Wan-ny-pitz,  72;  Washakie, 
54.  56.  57,  59,  60,  61,  66,  72, 
76,  142;  claims  certain  lands 
for  Shoshonis,  81,  83;  port. 
143;  We-rat-/.e-mon-a-gen,  72; 
White  Eyes,  86. 


INDEX 


247 


Indians: 

condition  of  Indians,  in  1868, 
77-80,  in    1869,   88-89. 

custom  when  on  war  path,  139. 

depredations,  attack  Heck  Reel 
Wagon   Train,    152-162. 

diseases,  in  1868,  76. 

furs  and  skins  of,  53,  80,  89. 

habits  of,    134. 

horses,  etc.,  owned  by,  53,  79,  80. 

population,  in  1867,  53;  in  1868, 
77-78;  in   1869,  88-89. 

telegraph  wires,  suspicions  con- 
cerning,  135. 

tipis,  illus.  in   1867,   134. 

Treaties:  Treaty  at  Fort  Bridger, 
July  3,  1868  (Shoshoni  and 
Bannock)  67-72,  84;  Treaty  at 
Soda  Springs,  Oct.  14,  1863,  56. 

Tribes:  Bannocks,  55,  59,  67-70, 
74-75,  78,  213,  annuities,  56, 
85,  desire  own  reservation,  82- 
84,  friendly  with  Shoshonis,  75, 
remarks  to  July  3,  1868,  82-84; 
Blcickfeet,  86;  Cheyennes,  152, 
at  Julesburg,  Colo.,  131,  132; 
Elk  Mountain  Vtes,  11;  Fish- 
Utes,  11,  79;  Coshen-Utes,  11\ 
Goships,  78,  79,  85;  Paiiites 
(Pah-Edes,  Pah-Utes,  Pi-Edes) 
77;  Pahranugats,  11;  Pah-Vents, 
11,  79;  Pawnees,  128,  136,  137, 
and  Sioux  relations,  134,  skir- 
mish with  Arapahoes,  139;  San- 
pitches,  11;  Sheepeaters,  55; 
Shoshonis,  55,  59,  142,  213, 
annuities,  56,  desire  reservation, 
82-84,  friendly  relations  with 
Bannocks,  75,  in  summers,  58, 
65.  number  of,  1867,  57,  range 
of  country,  59  -  60,  remarks 
made  to,  July  3,  1868,  82-84, 
reservation  for,  67-76;  Shosho- 
nis, Eastern  Band,  78-79,  good 
conduct  of,  57,  reservation  for, 
57,  wealth  of,  57;  Shoshonis, 
Northwestern  Band,  79,  annu- 
ities, 1 867,  56;  Shoshonis,  West- 
ern Band,  79;  Sioux,  133,  152, 
153,  hostility  of,  83,  86,  and 
Pawnee  relations,  134;  Timpai- 
avats  (Timpanogs)  77;  Uintah 
Vtes,  79,  100;  Vtes,  population, 
1867,  53,  78,  79;  Weber  Vtes, 
78;  Yampah  Vtes,  11,  79. 

Wealth  of,  in  furs  and  skins,  53, 
80,  89;  in  horses,  53,  79,  80. 
Irish  Pete,   155,  158. 
Island  Lake,  172. 
Izaak  Walton  League,  7. 


Jabelmann,  Ann,  225. 

Jackson,  Teton,  34. 

Jackson     Hole    Country,    telephone 

service,  150. 
Jackson  Valley  Telephone  Co.,  150. 
James  Bros,  (outlaws)  35. 
John   Colter,   a   poem,   by   Mae   Ur- 

banek,   1  1. 
Johnson  County  Invasion,    188. 
Johnson's  Army  to  Utah,  48. 
Jones,  J.  A.  (Flatrock)    191. 
Jorzick,  Henry,  in  picture,   196. 
Julesburg,  Colo.,  town  moved,  1867, 

133. 


KC  ranch,  30. 

KSPR    Radio,    Casper,    gets    award, 

107. 
KVRS    Radio,    Green     River,    gets 

award,  224. 
Kamas     prairie,     Ida.,    See    Camas 

prairie,  Ida. 
Kane,  Wyo.,  215. 
Kaufmann  Cave,  Wyo.,  214-215. 
Kaycee,  Wyo  .  30. 
Kemmerer,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 

146,  148,  149. 
Kemmerer-Big  Piney  Telephone  Co., 

147-148. 
Kennedy,  Mr.  (sheriff)   190. 
Kester,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  92. 
Kester,  Ed,  214. 

Ketchum,  Tom   (Black  Jack)   24. 
Kilpatrick,   Ben,  29. 
Kincaid,  Mr.,  200. 
King,  Mrs.  Owen,  225,  226. 
Kinkade,  Mrs.  Harley,   108,   111. 
Kinney's  Cut-off,  200. 
Kintz,  Ralph,   111. 
Kleiber,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Hans,  92. 
Knight,    Dr.    S.    H.,    gives    talk    on 

"History  of  the  Rocky  Mts.",  225. 
Kopac,  Emil,  211-212. 
Kusel,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Herman,  92. 
Kusulas,  Don,  214. 


Labarge  Creek,  198. 

LaBonte,  Pierre,  Jr.,  193;  composes 

song  on   Old  Orefion   Trail,   212, 

on  Albert  Sim,  111. 
LaBonte  Creek,  155,  158. 
Lake  Helen,  9. 
Lake  Marion,  9. 
Lake  Solitude,  5-11;  illus.,  4;  origin 

of  name,  7. 


248 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Lake  Solitude,  a  Glacier  Sapphire, 
by  Mae  Urbanek,  5-11. 

Lander,  Col.  W.  F.,  44. 

Lander,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
146,   150. 

Lander  Cut-off,  44. 

Lander  Road,  51. 

Lander  Trail,  206. 

Lane,  Charles  Elmer,  225. 

Lane,  Newt  (sheriff)   187. 

LaPorte,  Colo.,  138. 

LaPrebe  Creek,  142. 

LaPrele  Creek,  157. 

Laramie,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
145,  147,  148-149. 

Laramie  County  Historical  Society, 
224,  225. 

Laramie  Daily  Boomerang,  145;  giv- 
en award,   107,  223. 

Laramie  Mts.,  See  also  Black  Hills 
(Laramie  range) 

Laramie  Peak,   155. 

Larom,  L  H.,  107;  and  Mrs.  Larom, 
hosts  to  Society  members,   110. 

Larson,   Robert    R.,   222,   224,   225. 

Larson.  Dr.  T.  Alfred,  106,  108, 
109,  219,  222,  223;  elected  presi- 
dent, Wyo.  State  Hist.  Society, 
108;  appoints  committees.  111; 
President's  Message,  102-104;  re- 
view of  The  Autobiography  of  the 
West,  by  Oscar  Lewis,  227,  Life 
and  Adventures  of  Frank  Grou- 
ard.  by  Joe  De  Barthe,  ed.  by  E. 
L  Stewart,  236-237.  Yesterday's 
Wyoming:  the  Intimate  Memoirs 
of  Fenimore  C.  Chatterton,  115- 
116. 

Latter  Day  Saints,  establish  ferry 
on  Green  River,  206. 

Laubin,  Reginald  and  Gladys,  The 
Indian  Tipi,  its  History,  Construc- 
tion and  Use,  reviewed  by  F.  H. 
Sinclair,  119-120. 

Lawrence,  W.  C,  receives  historical 
award,  223. 

Lay,  Elza,  See  McGinnis,  Bill 

Lee,  Bob,  29. 

Lester,  Josephine  Irby,  51. 

Letters  from  the  Frontier — 1867, 
by  Henry  C.  Parry,   127-143. 

Lewis,  Mr.  (on  Strawberry  Creek) 
43. 

Lewis,  Sergeant  Chuck.  166. 

Lewis.   Malcom,    108,   111. 

Lewis,  Oscar,  compiler.  The  Auto- 
biography of  the  West,  reviewed 
by  T.  A.  Larson,  227. 


Lewis  &  Clark  expedition,  5. 

Lewiston,  Wyo.,  42,  43. 

Life  and  Adventures  of  Frank  Grou- 
ard,  by  Joe  DeBarthe,  edited  by 
E.  I.  Stewart,  reviewed  by  T.  A. 
Larson,  236-237. 

Lindahl,  Ralph,  214. 

Linford,  Velma,  43. 

Little  Goose  Creek,  153. 

Little  Sandy  Creek,  198,  199,  200, 
201,  202,  204. 

Little  Sandy  Crossing,   198,   199. 

Littleton,  E.  A.,  103,  104,  105,  106, 
111,  221,  223. 

Lloyd,  Maj.  Henry,  37. 

Lloyd,  Virginia  (Mrs.  E.  O.  Parry) 
238. 

Lodge  Pole  Creek,  telephone  ser- 
vice, 145. 

Logan,  Ed,  225. 

Logan,  Harve,  24,  28,  29. 

Logan,  John,  28. 

Logan,  Lonny,  28. 

Lonabaugh,  Maj.  H.  E.,  165. 

Longabaugh,  Harry,  28-29. 

Loshbrough,  Paul  E.,   149. 

Lower  Ham's  Fork  School,  210. 

Luman,  Uncle  John,  6. 

Luoma,  Julius,  193,  211;  guide  of 
Oregon  Trail  Trek,  208-210; 
ranch  of  206,  207,  illus.  207. 

Lusk-Manville  Telephone  Co.,   148. 


MacDougall,  A.  H.,  106,  108,  220, 
221;  elected  president,  Wyo.  State 
Historical  Society,  223. 

McGee,  Mrs.  Price,  108,  111. 

McGinnis,  Bill,  29. 

Mcintosh,  Chuck,  92. 

McKee,  E.  E.,  172-173. 

McKinstry,  Bruce,  198,  200;  in  pic- 
ture, 196. 

McKinstry,  Mrs.  Bruce,  in  picture, 
196. 

McKinstry,  Byron  N.,  biog.  of,  200- 
203;  Diary,    1850,   200-203. 

Maclean,  John,  172. 

McMillen,  Emily,  Diary,  1852,  199. 

McNair,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  James,  given 
award,  107. 

Madsen,  Brigham  D.,  The  Bannock 
of  Idaho,  reviewed  by  J.  W. 
Vaughn,  233-234. 

"Mag  Jesses'  Emporium",  32. 


INDEX 


249 


Mahan,  Richard,  review  of  The 
Cattlemen:  From  the  Rio  Grande 
Across  the  Far  Marias,  by  Mari 
Sandoz,  231-232. 

Mahnken,  Olin,   149. 

Mann,  Homer,  107,  108. 

Mann,  Luther,  Jr.  (Indian  Agent) 
55,  56,  59,  65,  72,  78,  85,  88; 
letters  by,  53-55,  56-58,  62-63,  66, 
73-77;  seeks  office  for  agency,  73. 

Manning,  Loyal,  197. 

Marion,  William  L.,  106;  speaks  on 
St.    Mary's   Stage   Station,   40-41. 

Martin,  Mrs.  Mabel  B.,  225. 

Martin,  Marguerite,  225. 

Martin,  William,  105. 

Mathany,  Mark,  214. 

Mather,  Kirtly,  6. 

Mather  Peak,  6. 

Mattes,  Francois  E.,  7. 

Mattes,  Merrill,  106;  "Rediscovery 
of  Colter's  Hell,"  talk,  109. 

Mayoworth,  Wyo.,  183. 

Meadow  Creek,  210. 

Meadow  Gulch,  Wyo.,  43. 

Medicine  Bow,  Wyo.,  telephone  ser- 
vice, 148. 

Medicine  Wheel  [Wyo]  97,  215; 
maps  made  of,  215. 

Meeteetse,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
146. 

Memoriam  from  One  Old  Soldier  to 
Another,  by  Minnie  Presgrove, 
171-173. 

Mexicans,  buUwhackers,  155. 

Midwest,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
147,  149,  150. 

Midwest  Oil  Company,  147. 

Military  Operations,  Artillery,  148th 
Field  Artillery.  165,  166;  Cavalry, 
2d  U.  S.  Cavalry,  at  Fort  Fetter- 
man,  142;  2d  U.  S.  Cavalry,  B 
Company,  142,  Troop  F,  142; 
Infantry,  4th  Infantry,  136,  158, 
at  Fort  Fetterman,  142;  18th  In- 
fantry, 142;  36th  Infantry,  138. 

Miller,  Mr.  (toll  bridge  operator) 
211. 

Miller,  Neal  E.,  review  of  Wyoming 
Manhunt,  by  Allan  V.  Elston, 
236. 

Miner's  Delight,   [Wyo.]  43,  48. 

Misty  Moon  Lake,  9. 

Mizner,  Capt.  port.  130. 

Mockler,  Esther,  review  of  Owen 
Wister  Out  West,  His  Journals 
and  Letters,  edited  by  Fanny  K. 
Wister,  228-229. 

Mockler,  Frank  C,  105,  111. 

Moffett  Company,  146. 


Moncrieffe,  Malcolm,  23. 

Mooney,  J.  Will,  181-182. 

Moorcroft,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
148. 

Moran,  Rodes,  214. 

Morgan,  Dale  L.,  editor,  Washakie 
and  the  Shoshoni,  pt.  X,  1867- 
1869,  53-89. 

Morman  Ferry  (on  Green  River) 
206. 

Mormon  Trail,  198. 

Mormon  Vanguard,  47,  50. 

Mormons,  in  1847,  47. 

Morris,  Esther  Hobart,  48-49. 

Morrison,  W.  W.,  90,  198. 

Morrow,  Col.  Henry  A.,  72;  at  Fort 
Bridger,  85. 

Mount  Gannett,  172. 

Mountain  climbing,  Fremont  Peak, 
172. 

Mountain  States  Telephone  and  Tel- 
egraph Co.,    148. 

Mowry,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  (on  French 
Creek)   181. 

Muddy  Creek  Ferry  (on  Green  Riv- 
er) 206. 

Muggins  (horse)    108. 

Mulcey,  Private,   158. 

Mulloy,  Kathy,  214. 

Mulloy,  Dr.  William,  92,  214,  220; 
review  of  Sun  Circles  and  Human 
Hands,  the  Southeastern  Indians 
— Art  and  Industry,  ed.  by  E.  L. 
Fundaburk  and  M.  D.  Foreman, 
117-118. 

Mulloy,  Mrs.  William,  214. 

Murphy,  Mrs.  Florence  H.,  223. 

Murphy,  Frank,  193;  in  picture,  196. 

Murray,  Mrs.  Maud,  106. 

Myers,  Elva,  37. 


NH  ranch,  30. 

Names  Hill,  202,  207,  208-209. 

Nantkes,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Robert,  92. 

Nelson,  Charles,  92. 

Nelson,     Dick    J.,     223;    Branded 

Peace,  a  poem,    12;   Wyoming,  a 

poem,    16;  biog.  of,   121. 
Nelson,  Otto,  92. 
Newcastle,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 

148,    149. 
Newton,  Earl,  108,  109,  HI. 
Nickerson,  Capt.  Herman  G.,   171- 

173;  letter  to,   173-174. 
Nickerson,  O.  K.,  172. 
Nigger  Steve,  187. 
Nolan,  John,  30. 


250 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Nolan,  Tom,  30. 

North  Platte,  Neb.,  1867,  128. 

Northern  Wyoming  Telephone  Co., 

148. 
Nye,  Edgar  Wilson  (Bill)    145. 


Oberhansley,  Frank,   109. 
O'Dasz,  Mrs.  Frank,  108,  111. 
O'Day,  Tom  (Peep)  23,  29,  30,  31. 
"Old  Eagle  Breast",  34. 
Old  Emigrant  Road,   154,  195,  213; 

See  also  Oregon  Trail. 
Old   Oregon    Trail,   song   by   Pierre 

LaBonte,  Jr.,  212. 
Olmstead,  Mel,  23. 
Olson,  Sam,  222. 
Oregon    Trail,    emigration    on    147; 

north  bank  route  from  Fort  Lara- 
mie, 201;  slides,  106. 
Oregon  Trail  Trek,  no.  6,  compiled 

by   Maurine   Carley,    37-51,    map 

of,   38,  summarized,   51-52;   Trek 

no.  7,   193-213,  map  of,  194. 
Orin  Junction,  Wyo.,  153. 
Osage,  Wyo.,  telephone  service,  148, 

149. 
Ostrom.  George  N.,  The  Beginning 

of    a    Great    Emblem,     163  -  167; 

biog.  of,  240;  first  to  use  bucking 

broncho  to  identify  state  of  Wyo., 

163. 
Otto,  Wyo.,  169. 
Outlaws,  in  Wyoming,    17-36,    175- 

192. 
Owen  Wister  Out  West,  His  Journals 

and  Letters,  edited  by  Fanny  K. 

Wister,  reviewed  by  Esther  Mock- 

ler,  228-229. 


Pacific  Creek,  195. 

Pacific  Fur  Company,  45. 

Pacific  Spring  Crossing,  201. 

Pacific  Springs,  46,  50-51,  193. 

Pacific  Springs  Stage  Station,  195. 

Paden,  Irene,  Wake  of  the  Prairie 
Schooner,  cited,  211. 

Pageants,  Fight  at  Platte  Bridge  Sta- 
tion, given  award,  107;  John  Col- 
ter, 110. 

Paintrock  Creek,  5,  6,  7,  9,  10,  11. 

Paintrock  creeks,  origin  of  name,  6. 

Palmer,  Joel,  Diary,  1845,  198-199. 

Park  County  Chapter  (Wyo.  State 
Historical  Society)  dedicates  John 
Colter  marker,  1 10. 


Parker,  E.  S.,  letters  by,  88-89. 

Parker,  George  Leroy  (Butch  Cas- 
sidy)    17,  18,  21,  23-30,  34. 

Parker   O    A     32 

Parrish,  William  Floyd,  148,  149. 

Parrot,  George  (Big  Nose  George) 
35. 

Parry,  Edward  Owen,  edits  Letters 
from  the  Frontier  — 1867,  127- 
144;  biog.  of,  238. 

Parry,  Judge  Edward  Owen  [Sr.] 
127. 

Parry,  George  G.,  127. 

Parry,  Dr.  Henry  C,  238;  Letters 
from  the  Frontier — 1867,  127- 
144;  biog.  of,  127;  opinion  of 
Indians,    142;  port.    130. 

Parting  of  the  Ways,  197;  monu- 
ment,   195,   198. 

Patrick,  Mrs.  Lucille,  108,  110,  111. 

Patterson,  Capt.   J.  H.,   88. 

Payche  (dog)    141. 

Payson,  Mrs.  Lois  B.,  review  of 
From  Wilderness  to  Statehood,  a 
History  of  Montana,  1805-1900, 
by  J.  M.  Hamilton,  114-115. 

"Peep  O'Day"  See  O'Day,  Tom 
(Peep) 

Pemmican,   178. 

Pence,  Mary  Lou  and  Homsher, 
Lola  M.,  Ghost  Towns  of  Wyo- 
ming, given  award,  108. 

People's  Telephone  Co.,  149. 

Perry,  Guy,  20,  21. 

Perry,  John,  21. 

Peters,  Leora,  review  of  The  Un- 
covered Wagon,  by  Mae  Urban- 
ek,  234. 

Peterson,  George,  31. 

Peterson,  Harold  L.,  American 
Knives,  reviewed  by  W.  R. 
Schroll,  232. 

Peterson,  Robert  (Bob)    159. 

Phillips,  John  "Portugee"  153. 

Pierson,  Mrs.  L.,  106. 

Pine  Bluffs,  Wyo.,  150,  168;  tele- 
phone service,  149,  150. 

Pine  Tree  Bluffs,    137. 

Pinedale,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
148. 

Pioneer  Museum,  Douglas,  Wyo., 
162. 

"Pioneer  Portraits"  skit,  224. 

Pipes  (smoking)   100. 

Plains  Hotel,  Cheyenne,  opened, 
147;  telephone  service,  147. 

Poem  to  the  Pioneer  Women,  a 
poem  by  H.  N.  Boyack,  49. 

Pole  Creek  [Wyo]  136. 

Port  Neuf,  68,  81,  83. 


INDEX 


251 


Powder  River  Country,  19. 

Powder  River  place,  189,  190. 

Powell,  George,  157,  158. 

Prairie  dogs,  128;  town,  128. 

Presgrove,  Minnie,  Memoriam  from 
One  Old  Soldier  to  Another,  171- 
173;  biog.  of,  240. 

Primitive  area.  Cloud  Peak,  7,  9. 

Project  Mutual  Telephone  Co.,  150. 

Projectile  points.  See  Indians:  Arti- 
facts. 

Provot,  Etienne,  46. 

Public  Utilities  Commission,  Wyo., 
149. 

Pumpkin  Buttes,  6. 


Quaking  Aspen  Creek,  210. 

Quo    Vadis    in    Wyoming,    March, 

1876,   translated   by   Edmund  A. 

Bojarski,    168-170. 


Radio  Station  KSPR,  Casper,  re- 
ceives historical  award,  107; 
KVRS,  Green  River,  receives  his- 
torical award,  224. 

Radium  Springs,  42. 

Ramstein,  Charles,  92. 

Ranches,  in  1867,  129,  adobe 
houses,  129;  Bar  C,  34;  Blue 
Creek,  18;  KC,  30;  Luoma,  206; 
NH,  30. 

Randall,  Tod  (Indian  interpreter) 
86. 

Rawlins,  Gen.  John  A.,  port.   130. 

Rawlins,  Wyo.,  first  telephone,  146, 
147. 

Razzari,  Mrs.,  in  picture,  196. 

Red  Buttes  Monument,  Wyo.,   221. 

Red  Wing  (horse)    163-167. 

Register  Cliff,  Wyo.,  208. 

Reis,  Mrs.  Anthony,  224. 

Reel,  A.  H.  (Heck)  152-162;  port. 
156;  wagon  train  burning,  remains 
of,   159-162,  site  of,   159. 

Relocation  of  Pioneer  Burials,  by 
L.  C.  Steege,  90-91. 

Richards,  Homer  C,  receives  his- 
torical award,  223. 

Ridings,  Reta,  225. 

Ritter,  Charles,  111,  219,  225,  226. 

Ritter,  Mrs.  Charles,  225,  226. 

Ritter,  Judd,  18. 

Riverside,  Wyo.,  postoffice,  21,  il- 
lus.    18. 


Riverton  Telephone  Co.,  148. 

Roberts,  B.  H.,  47. 

Roberts,  Rev.  John,  195. 

Roberts,  Mrs.  Margaret  Jane 
Bourne,  213. 

Roberts  Brothers    (outlaws)    23. 

Rock  Creek  (Johnson  co.)  181,  185; 
Rock  Creek-French  Creek  coun- 
try,   181. 

Rock  Creek  (near  South  Pass)  42, 
43. 

Rock  Creek  (western  Wyoming) 
210. 

Rock  Creek  Ridge,  213. 

Rock  River,  Wyo.,  telephone  ser- 
vice, 148. 

Rock  Springs,  Wyo.,  telephone  ser- 
vice, 146,  149. 

Rocky  Gap,  206,  209,  210-211,  212. 

Rocky  Mountain  Bell  Telephone 
Co.,    146,    147. 

The  Rocky  Mountain  Revolution, 
by  S.  H.  Holbrook,  reviewed  by 
H.  J.  Swinney,   118-119. 

Rocky  Ridge  Station,  Wyo.,  40-42. 

Roedigger,  Mr.,  91. 

Rogers,  Glenn  K.,  224. 

Rogers,  Mary  Read  (Mrs.  Glenn 
K.)  review  of  This  is  the  West, 
edited  by  R.  W.  Howard,  113-114. 

Rogers,  William,  93. 

Roswell  Museum,  N.  M.,  215. 

Roundup,  13-16;  roundup  cook,  13. 

Ruby  Valley,  79. 

Russell,  Ann,  in  picture,  196. 

Russell,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Jim,  92. 

Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell,  40,  41, 
44,  48. 

Rustlers,  in  Wyoming,  17-36,  175- 
192. 

Ryder,  George,  195-196. 


Sage  hens,   1867,   139. 

St.  Mary's  Cut-off,  40. 

St.  Mary's  Station,  40-41. 

Salisbury,  Herbert,  224,  226. 

Salt  Creek,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 

147,  149,  150. 
Salt  Creek  Range,  202. 
Salt  Creek  Telephone  Co.,  149. 
Salt  Lake  City,  88. 
Salt  Lake  City  Telephone  Co.,  146. 
Salt  River  Range,  209. 
Sanborn,  Gen.  John  B.,  65,  66,  74, 

85. 


252 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Sandoz,  Mari,  The  Cattlemen:  From 

the   Rio   Grande   Across   the   Far 

Marias,  reviewed  by  Richard  Ma- 

han,  231-232. 
Sands,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Bill,  92. 
Saratoga,     telephone     service,     146, 

150. 
Scherbel,  Paul  H.,  193. 
Schroll,   William    R.,    224,    226;   re- 
view of  American  Knives,  by  H. 

L.  Peterson,  232. 
Schroll,  Mrs.  William  R.,  225,  226. 
Schunk,  Edna,  7. 
Schunk,  Dr.  Will,  7. 
Scott,  Mr.   (stage  driver)    196,   197. 
Scott,    John    Tucker,    Diary,    1851, 

199. 
Scott,   Mary   Hurlburt,   reads  paper 

on  Pacific  Springs,  50-51. 
"script"  (land)  20. 
Seven  Brothers  Lake,  8. 
Shankersville  (road  ranch)   33. 
Shanton,  George,  33. 
Shaw,  J.  C,  153. 
Shay,  J.  J.,  208. 
Sheridan,  Gen.  P.  H.,  87. 
Sheridan,  Wyo.,  6;  telephone  service, 

147,  150. 
Sherlock,  Maggie,   195-196,   197. 
Sherlock,  Peter,   195. 
Sherman,  Sylvester  "Ves",  155,  159; 

biog.  of,  152-153,  156,  157,  162. 
Sherman,  Gen.  W.  T.,  65,  72. 
Shirley,  Glenn,  Buckskin  and  Spurs, 

reviewed  by  Zita  Winter,  230. 
Shoshoni,    Wyo.,    telephone   service, 
146,  149. 

Shy-Guys,  quartette,  224. 
Sieber  Diary,  1851,  199. 
Sienkiewicz,    Henry,    Quo    Vadis   in 

Wyoming,  translated  by  Edmund 

A.  Bojarski,  168-170. 
Simpson,  Milward  L.,  224. 
Simpson,  Mrs.  Milward  L.,  223. 
Sims,   Albert,    162,   212;   in  picture, 

196. 
Sinclair,  F.  H.,  review  of  The  Indian 

Tipi,     its     History,     Construction 

and   Use,  by  R.   and  G.  Laubin, 

119-120. 
Slack,  E.  A.,  145. 
Slate  Creek,  51,  206. 
Slate  Creek  Road,  209,  210. 


Smelser,  Mr.,  201. 
Smith,  Mrs.  Babs,  108. 
Smith,  "Black  Henry",  34-35. 


Smith,  James,   197. 

Smith,  Hugh,  108. 

Smith,  Jedediah  Strong,  46,  50. 

Smith,  John  R.,  178. 

Smith,  Dr.  M.  H.,   108,   111. 

Smith's  Fork,   199;  ferry,  213. 

Snowsheds,  in  Wyoming,  1876,  168. 

Snyder,  Fred,  171-173. 

Snyder  Basin  Ranger  Station,  51. 

Solitude  Circle  Trail,  6. 

Sonny,  Mrs.  (Old  Lady  Sonny)  185. 

South  Pass,  43,  45-49,  140,  201; 
mines  at,  58,  63. 

South  Pass  City,  41,  63,  193,  195, 
207;  telephone  services,  148,  149. 

Southern  Wyoming  Telephone  Co., 
148. 

Sowada,   Robert,  214. 

Spalding,  Eliza  Hart,  47. 

Spanish  Diggings  [Wyo]  215. 

Speck,  "Old  Bill",  23. 

Speigel,  Sydney,   103,   106. 

Split  Rock,  41. 

Spohr,  Mrs.  Adolph,  108,  111. 

Spring  Creek  Raid,  book  on,  237- 
238. 

Stage  Station,  Overland  Route,  1867, 
illus.   126. 

Stagecoaches,   1867,   132. 

Steege,  L.  C,  105,  111,  220,  224, 
225,  240;  Archaeological  Research 
in  Wyoming  during  1958,  214- 
215;  Relocation  of  Pioneer  Bur- 
ials, 90-91;  Stone  Artifacts,  99- 
101,  215-218,  illus.  98;  receives 
historical  award,  223. 

Stems,  W.  A.,  149. 

Stevens  -  Townsend  -  Murphy  party, 
198. 

Stewart,  E.  L,  editor  of  Life  and 
Adventures  of  Frank  Grouard,  by 
Joe  DeBarthe,  reviewed  by  T.  A. 
Larson,   236-237. 

Stewart,  W.  J.,  195,   196,   197. 

Stone  Artifacts,  by  L.  C.  Steege, 
99-101,  215-218. 

Stratton,  Mrs.  Fred,   172. 

Strawberry  Creek,  42,  43. 

Stroud,  Charles,   173. 

Stuart,  Robert,  45,  50. 

Stubbs,  Bud,   18. 

Sturm,  Mrs.  Henrietta,   108,    111. 

Sublette,  William,  46,  50. 

Sublette  Canyon,  210. 

Sublette  Creek,  210. 

Sublette  Cut-off,  50,  203,  205,  206, 
209,  213;  marker,  200,  201. 

Sublette  Road,  51,  211.  See  also 
Sublette  Cut-off. 


INDEX 


253 


Sublette  Trail,   198. 

Sun,  Tom,  37. 

Sun  Circles  and  Hntntin  llamls, 
edited  by  E.  L.  Fundabuik  and 
M.  D.  Foreman,  reviewed  by  Wil- 
liam Mulloy,   117-118. 

Sundance  Kid,  See  Longabaugh, 
Harry. 

Surveyor  Park,    172. 

Swan  Land  and  Cattle  Co.,  Chug- 
water,  telephone  line  to,   145. 

Sweem,   Glenn,   92,   214,   215. 

Sweem,  Glenn,  Jr.,  214. 

Sweetwater  County  Historical  So- 
ciety, 224. 

Sweetwater  Crossings,  39,  40;  9th, 
43,  44. 

Sweetwater  mines,  63,  85-86;  Indian 
depredations,  74. 

Swinney,  H.  J.,  review  of  'I he  Rocky 
Mountain  Revolution,  by  S.  H. 
Holbrook,    118-119. 


Tanner,  Francis,    193. 

Tanner,  Helen,  193. 

Tappan,  S.  F.,  65,  72. 

Taylor,  Dorothy,  225. 

Taylor,  Earl  J.,    149. 

Taylor,  John,  47. 

Taylor,  N.  G.,  65,  72;  letters  by, 
63-66;  letters  to,  55-56,  59-62, 
63-65,  77-80. 

Telephone  Canyon,  telephone  .ser- 
vice,  145. 

Telephones,  barbed  wire  used,  146; 
first  in  Cheyenne,  145;  first  inter- 
state. Rocky  Mt.  area,  145;  first 
long  distance.  Rocky  Mt.  area, 
145;  history,  in  Wyoming,  145- 
151;  increased  rates,    149,    150. 

"Tensleep"  origin  of  name,  6. 

Tensleep,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
147. 

Tensleep  and  No  Rest,  by  Jack  R. 
Gage,  reviewed  by  Lola  M.  Hom- 
sher,  237-238. 

Tensleep  Canyon,  6. 

Tensleep  Creek,  6. 

Tensleep   Raid,   book   on,   237-238. 

Tepees,  construction  of,   133. 

"Terrible  Jake",    132. 

Terry,  Gen.  Alfred   H.,  65,  72. 

Thermopolis,  Wyo.,  lelephone  ser- 
vice,  146,   149. 

This  is  the  West,  edited  by  R.  W. 
Howard,  reviewed  by  Mary  R. 
Rogers,    113-114. 


Thomas,  C.  W.,  209. 

Thompson,  vSang,  34. 

Thorn,  John,    195. 

Thorn,  Mrs.  John,   195. 

Thorp,  Russell.  Jr.,   162,  225. 

To  Albert  Sims,  song,  composed  by 
Pierre   La   Bonte,  Jr.,   212. 

Townsend,   Mr.,  201. 

Three  Crossings,  Wyo.,  41. 

Throstle,  George,  152-155,  157,  162; 
buried  at  Fort  Fetterman,  158; 
port.    156. 

"Tiger  of  the  Hole  -  in  -  the  -  Wall" 
gang,  28. 

Tipperary,  Wyo.,    178. 

Tourtelotte,  Col.  J.  i:.,  88;  letters 
by,  88-89. 

Towns,   H.   E.,  91. 

'Irabing,  Wyo.,   178. 

frail  Creek,  210. 

Trainrobbers  Syndicate.   27. 

IVoper,    Private,    158. 

1'rue,  Allen,  designs  bucking  bron- 
cho on  license  plates,    167. 

Twin  Springs,    158. 

Tyrrell  Ranger  Station,  6,  9. 


Uncle  John  Luman,  See  Luman, 
Uncle  John 

The  Uncovered  Wagon,  by  Mae  Ur- 
banek,  reviewed  by  Leora  Peters, 
234. 

Union  Pacific  Railroad,  83;  at  Jules- 
burg,  Colo.,    133. 

Union  Pacific  Railway  Commission, 
127,  135,  144;  port,  of  members, 
130. 

Union  Pass,  45. 

U.  S.  Military  Operations,  See  Mili- 
tary Operations. 

U.  S.  National  Park  Service,  spon- 
sors archaeological  program,  214. 

University  of  Wyoming,  sponsors 
archaeological  program,  214. 

Upper  Wintl  River  Valley,  cave 
sites,  215. 

Upton,  Wyo.,  telephone  service,  148. 

Urbanek,  Mae,  John  Colter,  a  poem, 
1  I;  L(die  Solitude,  a  Glacier  Sap- 
phire, 5-11;  ihe  Uncovered  Wag- 
on, reviewed  by  Leora  Peters, 
234;  received  honorable  mention, 
223. 

Utah  Indian  Agency,  ;SV<'  Washakie 
and  the  Shoshoiu. 


254 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Vail,  Theodore  N.,  145,  149;  biog. 
of  150-151. 

Van  Lenep,  Mr.  (geologist)  port. 
130. 

Vaughn,  Jesse  Wendell  and  Bishop, 
L.  C,  The  Heck  Reel  Wagon 
Burning,  152-162;  review  of  The 
Bannock  of  Idaho,  by  B.  D.  Mad- 
sen,  233-234;  biog.  of,  239. 

Vaughn,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  S.  J.,  239. 


Wack,  L.  O.,  in  picture,  196. 

Walker,  Mrs.  Graham,  224,  225. 

Wallace,  Mrs.  Dwight,  106. 

Ward,  Corporal,  158. 

Ward,  Mrs.  Hazel,  107,  108,  225. 

Warm  Springs  Creek,  6-7. 

Warner,  J.  Laird,  6. 

Warren,  Senator  Francis  E.,  145. 

Washakie  and  the  Shoshoni,  A  selec- 
tion of  Documents  from  the  Rec- 
ords of  the  Utah  Superintendency 
of  Indian  Affairs,  edited  by  Dale 
L.  Morgan,  pt.  X,  1867-1869,  53- 
89. 

Washakie  County  Historical  Society, 
222. 

Wassells,  General,   142. 

Webb,  Frances  Seely,  summarizes 
Trek  no.  6,  51-52. 

Webber,  Sergeant,   158. 

Wells,  Charlotte,  92. 

Weppner,  Joseph,  221. 

West  Tensleep  Creek,  9. 

West  Tensleep  Lake,  9. 

Westfall  family  (Elizabeth,  James, 
Jim,  Sammy,  Willie)  211. 

Westinghouse  Broadcasting  Com- 
pany Contest,   106,  221. 

Weston,  Mrs.  Perry,  106. 

Wheatland,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
146. 

Wheelwright,  Shorty,   177. 

Whelan,  Lt.,  port.  130. 

White,  A.  S.  H.,  72. 

White,  C.  F.,  209. 

White,  Clara,  92. 

Whitman,  Dr.  Marcus,  46. 

Whitman.  Narcissa  Prentiss,  47. 

Whitney,  History  of  Utah,  cited, 
199. 

Whittenburg,  Clarice,  222;  Wyo- 
ming's People,  reviewed  by  E.  C. 
Hill,  229-230;  received  historical 
award,  223. 

"Wild  Bunch"  (Butch  Cassidy's)  22, 
27. 


"Wild  Cat  Sam"  See  Abernathy, 
"Wild  Cat"  Sam. 

Wilderness  Society,  7. 

Wiley,  Mrs.  Lucille,   106,   108,   111. 

Wilkins,  Mrs.  Edness  Kimball,  222, 
223,  224;  received  honorable 
award,  223;  summarizes  Trek 
no.  6,  51-52,   111. 

Wilhams,  Mr.  (soldier)  158. 

WiHiams,  Vilina,  Diary,    1853,  200. 

Willie  Handcart  Company,  43. 

Willow  Creek,  43,  48,  210. 

Wind  River  Mts.,  204. 

Wind  River  Reservation,  79. 

Wind  River  Valley,  57-58. 

Winter,  Zita,  review  of  Buckskin 
and  Spurs,  by  Glenn  Shirley,  230. 

Wister,  Fanny  Kemble,  editor  of 
Owen  Wister  Out  West,  His  Jour- 
nals and  Letters,  reviewed  by  Es- 
ther Mockler,  228-229. 

Witters,   Dan,   214. 

Wolverine  Rangers,    1849,  204. 

Woodring,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  John  W., 
193. 

Woodruff,  Wilford,  47. 

Worland,  Wyo.,  telephone  service, 
147,   150. 

Wright,  E.  H.  (Ed)  223;  The  Cow- 
boy Representative  or  Rep,  13-16; 
biog.  of,    120-121;  in  picture,   12. 

Wright,  Mrs.  E.  H.,  223. 

Wyeth,  Nathaniel,  50. 

Wyoming,  a  poem,  by  Dick  J.  Nel- 
son, 16. 

Wyoming  Archaeological  Notes,  90- 
101,  214-218. 

Wyoming  Archaeological  Society, 
91,  214,  215. 

Wyoming  Manhunt,  by  Allen  V.  El- 
ston,  reviewed  by  Neal  E.  Miller, 
236. 

Wyoming  State  Capitol,  illus.  on 
cover,  V.  30,  no.   1. 

Wyoming  State  Historical  Society, 
4th  annual  meeting,  1957,  104- 
111;  5th  annual  meeting,  1958, 
219-226;  historic  sites  survey, 
1957,  103,  105,  for  1958,  221; 
historical  awards,  1957,  107-108, 
for  1958,  223-224;  officers,  1957- 
8,  108-109,  111,  for  1958-1959, 
124;  President's  message,  1958, 
by  Dr.  T.  A.  Larson,  102-104; 
scholarship,  1958,  220;  slides  to 
loan,  221-222. 

Wyoming  State  Museum,  217,  223; 
sponsors  archaeological  program, 
214. 


INDEX 


255 


Wyoming  Telephone  Co.,  150. 
Wyoming  Telephone  and  Telegraph 

Co.,  145,  146. 
Wyoming  Territory,  organized,  88. 
Wyoming's  People,  by  Clarice  Whit- 

tenburg,  reviewed  by  E.  C.  Hill, 

229-230. 


Yesterday's  Wyoming:  the  Intimate 
Memoirs  of  Fenimore  C.  Chatter- 
ton,  reviewed  by  Dr.  T.  A.  Lar- 
son, 115-116. 

Young,   Brigham,  48. 


Yankee  Spring,  Wyo.,  43. 
Yellowstone     National     Park,     tele- 
phone service,  149-150. 


Zindel,  Mr.  31-32;  saloon,  192,  illus. 

186. 
Zumbrunnen,   Mr.   &   Mrs.   Stanley, 

92. 


J 


WYOMING  STATE  ARCHIVES  AND  HISTORICAL 
DEPARTMENT 

The  Wyoming  State  Archives  and  Historical  Department  has  as  its  func- 
tion the  collection  and  preservation  of  the  record  of  the  people  of  Wyo- 
ming.    It  maintains  a  historical  library,  a  museum  and  the  state  archives. 

The  aid  of  the  citizens  of  Wyoming  is  solicited  in  the  carrying  out  of  its 
function.  The  Department  is  anxious  to  secure  and  preserve  records  and 
materials  now  in  private  hands  where  they  cannot  be  long  preserved.  Such 
records  and  materials  include: 

Biographical  materials  of  pioneers:  diaries,  letters,  account  books,  auto- 
biographical accounts. 

Business  records  of  industries  of  the  State:  livestock,  mining,  agricul- 
ture, railroads,  manufacturers,  merchants,  small  business  establishments, 
and  of  professional  men  as  bankers,  lawyers,  physicians,  dentists,  ministers, 
and  educators. 

Private  records  of  individual  citizens,  such  as  correspondence,  manuscript 
materials  and  scrapbooks. 

Records  of  organizations  active  in  the  religious,  educational,  social, 
economic  and  political  life  of  the  State,  including  their  publications  such 
as  yearbooks  and  reports. 

Manuscript  and  printed  articles  on  towns,  counties,  and  any  significant 
topic  dealing  with  the  history  of  the  State. 

Early  newspapers,  maps,  pictures,  pamphlets,  and  books  on  western 
subjects. 

Current  publications  by  individuals  or  organizations  throughout  the 
State. 

Museum  materials  with  historical  significance:  early  equipment,  Indian 
artifacts,  relics  dealing  with  the  activities  of  persons  in  Wyoming  and  with 
special  events  in  the  State's  history.