Traditional Lost Treasures of Wyoming

[Tiredman]

In the past there were a few authors who assembled a listing of lost treasures for the different states. Doing my own bit of reading and researching a bunch of them for about 10 years or so. I find folks seemed to copy others work, so researching seems like a bunch of back tracking to find the first place a story ever appeared. So far old newspapers came before anything mentioned in books and before those it had to be oral stories.
After Montana is done, we start our work on Wyoming. It will be interesting how many stories we can find, and once we are done I have no doubt others will find more right behind us.
The starting point is the old accepted stories of Wyoming, roughly 60 or so according to my old Wyoming Treasure Stories we put out in 2011. Yes, we did a book in the past for Wyoming, but I wasn’t too happy with it.

 

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[Tiredman]

Looking at my old book it is 174 pages 21,783 word count. Should be interesting once we are done with a newer version, middle of next year is my guess. Only thing salvageable is some nice maps.

 

[Tiredman]

Getting some stuff lined up for this one ahead of my wife, while she works on the last of the Montana stuff.

 

[Tiredman]

When it comes to the report of loot hidden down in the Jackson Hole region that could have been cached by several different outlaws such as Teton Jackson or the Wild Bunch. One report claimed Butch Cassaidy and Sundance were there once, we found an old magazine article on who they visited. That at least makes something to leave around a vague entry.

 

[Oroblanco]

In the past there were a few authors who assembled a listing of lost treasures for the different states. Doing my own bit of reading and researching a bunch of them for about 10 years or so. I find folks seemed to copy others work, so researching seems like a bunch of back tracking to find the first place a story ever appeared. So far old newspapers came before anything mentioned in books and before those it had to be oral stories.
After Montana is done, we start our work on Wyoming. It will be interesting how many stories we can find, and once we are done I have no doubt others will find more right behind us.
The starting point is the old accepted stories of Wyoming, roughly 60 or so according to my old Wyoming Treasure Stories we put out in 2011. Yes, we did a book in the past for Wyoming, but I wasn’t too happy with it.

Stealing from one author is plagiarism, stealing from many is research! Thanks for sharing this, please do continue.

 

[Tiredman]

I could provide a listing of who took what from whom, and I could provide a listing of current books on Amazon that could be forced off the market, but then that would spoil someone else's research. Let's just say that the portions of old newspapers JeffofPA posts is the closest to the source of the stories. Also when it comes to a Terry or Penfield story they tend to be very short, while when we do a story on the same lost treasure, ours average at least 11 pages each, some more. Then if we research a current author we discover the story is just that a story and the names do not exist! Just some more interesting observations.

 

[Tiredman]

Oh I did forget my books are for the tourist industry. Imagine that the biggest market for interesting regional history stories. Hang in there the Dakota's well get done too. Go to Wall Drug and check one out, I got them in there already.

 

[Tiredman]

Penfield had 26 pages for Montana on lost treasures, we should break 2,000. Currently working on last three in the series. 8 books in the Montana series. For Wyoming I want to try for 4 books since that is how many tourist regions there are. If we land the state historical society for any state we can land any county museum. That's the goal anyway.

 

[Tiredman]

My wife is working away at this one as I try to wrap up Montana. I have no doubt she will have some stuff to blow me away. I haven't looked at anything in the new book material.

 

[Tiredman]

Wyoming update currently 13 stories to go unless we find more, which we usually do. 700 to 800 pages which I have yet to go over, looks like it should be two volumes to cover it all. Been thinking of a Lost Cabin stand alone book.

 

[Tiredman]

First proofing underway.

 

[Tiredman]

Gone thru our old book to cross reference other sources, this will leave a list of leads not covered. Then we track down those articles. This really marked up my old Wyoming Treasure Stories book!

 

[Wyoming Prospector]

My family settled in Grover, WY in the early 1880's. There are tons of stories passed down about Butch Cassidy and some of his "Wild Bunch" members being here in the area for long periods of time.
I'll try to tell you what I know in the shortest version as possible. My family's first accounts of Outlaws that rode with Butch Cassidy was in 1887. Tom McCarty and another person (name not known) came into Star Valley and started to build a cabin in the Auburn Area. The way I understand it at this time no one was aware Tom was a outlaw. Tom returned back to the area and finished this cabin with Matt Warner in 1888. It sounds like McCarty and Warner spent most of the 1888 summer in the area. Or they could have just been back and fourth from place to place. They left the Star Valley area in the fall of 1888, They didn't come back to the valley again until mid summer of 1889. (This places Tom McCarty and Matt Warner in Auburn, WY right after they robbed the Telluride, CO bank in June of 1889 with Butch Cassidy. However Cassidy didn't come to the area with them at this time. Cassidy was said to be in the Lander area after the Telluride Robbery. Tom McCarty and Matt Warner stayed at the Auburn Cabin throughout the winter of 1889. They where well known and liked in the area. I'm not sure if anyone even knew they where outlaws at this time. The winter of 1889 was extreme and rough. So much snow that goods couldn't get over the surrounding mountain passes into Star Valley. Tom or Matt (not sure which one?) held a local store owner at gun point to get the owner to loan goods to people of the area until spring. In a way they kind of became local heroes for this action. Tom ended up Marrying Sara Lemmberg. The Lemmberg's where the first family to settle Auburn. Sometime after Matt married Sara's sister Rose Lemmberg. Cassidy showed up in the area for a very short period of time in the summer of 1890. The three gang members where in and out of the area the whole summer. The next big thing wouldn't happen till 1891 when Cassidy came into the area with Al Hanier. I guess at this time Matt and Tom where not in the area. Cassidy and Hainer where arrested in Auburn WY for horse theft in 1892. In 1896 Butch Cassidy would be in and out of the area with outlaws Elzy Lay and Bub Meeks. Around this time Matt Warner ended up in Jail. Rather then bust him out the gang made a plan to rob a bank in the area to get money for a lawyer. On August 11 1896 Cassidy, Lay, and Meeks went to a few different ranchers in the Star Valley area and bought horses. It was later realized they staked these horses in the Crow Creek area between Montpiler, ID and Afton, WY. To switch with their wore out horses after the robbery. on August 13 1896 the three robbed the bank in Montpiler Idaho and made for Star Valley, but they quickly ended up leaving and going toward Lander. This is last info I have of Butch Cassidy, or anyone who rode with him in this area. Not sure of some of the exact dates, it's info I jotted down over the years when my great grandpa would tell these stories, and they got passed down over the years. At one point in time the guys plastered one dollar bills on the walls inside of Matt's cabin. Not sure when exactly they did that, but I would guess it was right after the Telluride Robbery. I think Butch Cassidy and a lot of people that rode with him spent some time here in this area. However there are no stories or info of the Sundance Kid ever being in the area. Even though it's not as focused on in the history books I think this was just as big of a hideout for them as the famous hole in the wall. Probably a great winter hideout since the valley would be snowed in during the winters. This area is around 60 miles south of Jackson Hole, and Jackson was starting to boom in the late 1800's so I wouldn't doubt Butch Cassidy made it to Jackson at least once if not more. I just remembered Cassidy was supposed to meet with some lawmen in Jackson Hole sometime in the middle of all his robberies. They where trying to make a deal with him, but The lawmen didn't show up at the meeting location due to a major snow storm and Cassidy figured he was being set up, and took off. So according to this story he was at least in Jackson once. Hope this helps you Tiredman.

 

[Tiredman]

I did end up with an old western magazine where it tells of them staying with a family in Jackson Hole. But we are doing traditional stories a bit different from the norm. Example is the 1893 Grey Cliff train robbery lead by Charley Hanks connected to the 1935 cache found on Crazy Mountain. We set out with a plan in mind and ended up with something different. Thanks for your post, it took some time to do. All who enjoy reading the state section appreciate good information. Once I am into proofing the Wyoming stuff, I will post some sample stuff.

 

[Wyoming Prospector]

It sounds very interesting I can’t wait to read your book for sure. Yeah I was going to keep that last post short, but decided others may be interested in reading it in more detail. So I decided to unload all my notes in that post.

 

[Tiredman]

When I do a long one on my tablet the auto correct screws it up.

 

[Tiredman]

Did run across some more stuff proofing my Yellowstone Country book for MT which is going 2 ND edition. Reading on Kid Curry rumored hid outs in southern MT and remembered a mention of a place in the Big Horns they used, but in the article was an old cabin found with kid curry carved on one of the logs. I like coming across stuff like that, since I can include the area in case folks want to look around.

 

[Tiredman]

Real close to getting into our Wyoming material. The state has a weird break down of the tourist sections which I see will have to be ignored.

 

[Tiredman]

Got a start into all the Wyoming material at work tonight. 23 counties I believe. Some stories are spread all over the place. Anyone ever hear of a fellow named Hurlbert or something like that with the lost cabin stories? I have an obituary of a guy who met him, which shows he existed. Nice to find stuff like that.

 

[Tiredman]

748 pages but much not included yet.