More Wild Animals

Joe and I encounter a lot of this while driving around out in the country or on open stock roads - cows standing in the middle of the road.

This poor cow looks like he had a meeting with a porcupine and lost.

Lusk and Mother Featherlegs

Before entering Lusk, we stopped at the local rest area and discovered the grave of  George Lathrop.

IN MEMORY OF
GEORGE LATHROP
PIONEER OF THE WEST, INDIAN FIGHTER, VETERAN STAGE DRIVER
BORN AT POTTSVILLE, PA., DECEMBER 24, 1820
DIED AT WILLOW, WYO., DEC. 24, 1915
BURIED HERE
"A GOOD MAN WHOSE LIFE WAS FILLED WITH STIRRING EVENTS"
MARKING THE CHEYENNE AND BLACK HILL TRAIL.

THIS MARKER IS ERECTED ON THE OLD CHEYENNE AND BLACK HILLS STATE ROAD
IN MEMORY OF THE OPERATORS OF THE LINE AND THE PIONEERS WHO TRAVELED IT.
OPERATORS OF THE STAGE LINE: LUKE VOORHEES, RUSSELL THORP, SR.

All that remains of the local drive-in.

In the not so distant past, Highway 85 was also known as the Cheyenne-Deadwood Stagecoach Line and Lusk is the home to the last stagecoach to run the line. The last coach departed Cheyenne on February 19, 1887 and was driven by George Lathrop. From Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane to regular folks like you and me, the line was an important venue for early travelers. It also housed thousands of dollars in gold bullion and silver and was the brunt of more than one holdup attempt. The stages ran continually night and day, with stops made for meals and a change of horses. The trip between Cheyenne and Deadwood took three days by coach. Stage stations were located every 15 miles along the route.

On the windswept plains of eastern Wyoming stands the only monument to a prostitute known to exist in the United States. Though "Featherlegs,” as she was known, was seemingly well liked by area residents, it is doubtful that the area citizens would have built a monument to her during her heyday. However, she was seemingly perceived to be an "important” part of history along the Cheyenne-Deadwood Stage Road when the monument was erected in 1964.

Back in 1876, on the Silver Springs Road, near Muskrat Canyon, Charlotte "Mother Featherlegs" Shephard established a saloon and "house of ill-repute.” Though it was really more of a dugout than a "house,” it didn’t stop the many men, lonely for female companionship, from frequenting her establishment.

The story Davis told was; “Ma’amShe was called "Featherlegs” because her lace trimmed red pantalettes made her limbs look like chicken legs and she was often known to gallop across the prairie riding astride a horse with her lacy ruffles flowing in the wind. When one of her customers commented that she looked just like a feather-legged chicken, the nickname stuck. A middle-aged auburn-haired woman, she ran the establishment along with an outlaw who was called Dangerous Dick Davis. In no time, the saloon and brothel became a favorite gathering place for Dangerous Dick’s cohorts. Mother Featherlegs was often entrusted with large sums of money and jewelry, that she would hide for the outlaws until they could safely dispose of them.

But for Featherlegs, the prosperity was not to last. In 1879, when a woman named Mrs. O.J. Demmon, the wife of a Silver Springs rancher, took a ride along the trail, she found the madam’s murdered body next to the spring. Having laid their for several days, moccasin tracks like those worn by "Dangerous Dick” were found around her body. Featherlegs was buried where she died. Meanwhile, Dangerous Dick had skipped the country, along with her cache of money and jewelry.

With the booty in hand, Dangerous Dick returned to the swamps of Louisiana, which had long been his preferred choice for his outlaw activities. However, a couple of years later he was found there and charged with robbery and murder. Before he was hanged, he confessed to having killed Mother Featherlegs and told the world that her real name was Charlotte Shephard.

The reason we went to Lusk was mainly to see where Mother Featherleg's monument was.   

316 Miles - 7/9/11

Joe and I decided to go exploring today.  It was a last minute decision and we went off exploring not too far from Casper.  Our destination was to go south to a town named Lusk - 112 miles from the house.  I'll get to the reason later.

The first leg of our trip was on the interstate, but after several miles we exited to a two lane highway.  As we were driving down the road, I spied a bell tower and thought it must be a church, but then realized it was a school the closer we got.  It was an abandoned schoolhouse and it appeared it must be a school bell.  How fantastic was that?!  I can't find anything to explain when the school may have been built and then was no longer used.

Next stop...Lost Springs -

Lost Springs was first inhabited in the 1880s, when it received its name from railroad workers who could not find the springs shown on survey maps of the area. The town was incorporated in 1911, and it originally had 200 residents, most of whom worked at the nearby Rosin coal mine. After the coal mine closed around 1930, the population of Lost Springs steadily declined. By 1960, the population of the town had dropped to five.

This old building was located right next to the railroad tracks.

Another view of the building.  I wonder what it was at one time.

The remains of another old building.

Then we went on down the highway until we saw...

Between Manville and Keeline are the remants of Jireh College. The boys' dorm was on the top floor, girls' dorm and house mother's quarters were on the second floor, and the dining room and kitchen were in the basement. Tuition was $65.00 including room and board. The College was a small school affiliated with the Christian Church, now a part of of the United Church of Christ. It offered four years of high school and a two-year junior college.

The town of Jireh at one time had two banks, a lumber yard, post office, store, express office, three general stores, blacksmith and newspaper. Additionally, a dry farming experimental farm grew sugar beets, wheat, potatoes, and alfalfa. The college was established in 1908 and closed its doors in 1920 after the Church withdrew financial support.

 

Next stop Lusk and surrounding area...

Today is National Fried Chicken Day

Now this is my kind of a holiday!  Today we honor a finger-licking American favorite. To celebrate I made some homemade skinless, boneless chicken nuggets since I don't live near a Popeye's or Church's Fried Chicken.

When Ally and Ryan Came For a Visit

Over the 4th of July weekend, Ally and Ryan came to visit us.  Since this was their first trip to Wyoming, we planned on taking them on a couple of "daycations" and see some of our "local" sights.

We saw a lot of sights - 382 miles of sights on Saturday.  Our first stop was heading through the Wind River Canyon to Thermopolis and the state park.  We were going to have a picnic lunch there, but went looking for the buffalo in the park first.  We found them, but didn't get close since they were lunching away from the road.

While looking for the buffalo, we discovered this sign on the top of a ridge.  Note  Ed's last name.

Picnic in the park.

This is one of those things that make you go hmmmmm.  It's a church in Thermopolis and the sign on the side says "Open Sundays".  Wow, that's a relief to know that the church is open on Sundays.

After lunch, we got the gate key and headed out to see Legend Rock which is a few miles northwest of Thermopolis.  Joe and I had visited this place not long after our move to Wyoming and thought the kids might enjoy seeing this.  (Read out blog dated Sunday, July 26, 2009 entitled "Legend Rock State Petroglyphs" for our adventure).

Ryan and Ally unlocking the gate.

Standing in front of some of the petroglyphs.

This whole area was covered in petroglyphs.

Then we headed to Castle Gardens (Sunday, July 19, 2009 Castle Gardens, Wyoming).  While we traveled the 28 miles one way down a dirt road, we encountered several cows standing in or near the road...

We've arrived at Castle Gardens.

I love what appears to be an Indian with his bow and arrow.  I missed seeing this area of rock during my first visit.  All of the drawings are protected behind chain link fences.

Then it was on to Hell's Half Acre (Sunday, July 12, 2009 Hell's Half Acre).

Diary Diddle - June 27

Saturday - 1970

At about 2:30 Zachary started having her kittens.  They are 5 thorough-bred Siamese.  Tonight Clayton, Gary, Iris and we girls all went to the movie at the base.  Clayton put his arm around me and held my hand in the movie.  It was pouring rain when it was over and we all got soaked.  Clayton kept me warm on the way home.
------------------------------------------------
Note:  (awwwwh)

Arapaho Journeys

The Ft. Caspar program this last week was entitled "Arapaho Journeys" presented by Sara Wiles.

In what is now Colorado and Wyoming, the Northern Arapahos thrived for centuries, connected by strong spirituality and kinship and community structures that allowed them to survive in the rugged environment. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, as Anglo-Americans pushed west, Northern Arapaho life changed  dramatically. Although forced to relocate to a reservation, the people endured and held on to their traditions. Today, tribal members preserve the integrity of a society that still fosters living ni iihi , as they call it, "in a good way."
Award-winning photographer Sara Wiles captured that life on film and in words in Arapaho Journeys, an inside look at thirty years of Northern Arapaho life on the Wind River Indian Reservation in central Wyoming.

Through more than 100 images and 40 essays, she creates a visual and verbal mosaic of contemporary Northern Arapaho culture. Depicted in the photographs are people Wiles met at Wind River while she was a social worker, anthropology student, and adopted member of an Arapaho family. Among others pictured are Josephine Redman, an older woman wrapped in a blanket, soft light illuminating its folds, and rancher-artist Eugene Ridgely, Sr., half smiling as he intently paints a drum. Interspersed among the portraits are images of races, basketball teams, and traditional games. Wiles s essays weave together tribal history, personal narratives, and traditional knowledge to describe modern-day reservation life and little-known aspects of Arapaho history and culture, including naming ceremonies and cultural revitalization efforts. This work broaches controversial topics, as well, including the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians.

Arapaho Journeys documents not only reservation life but also Wiles s growth as a photographer and member of the Wind River community from 1975 through 2005.

June Visit From The Kids

The kids made a visit to our home recently.  It was so great seeing them and I thought it was the nicest visit I had had with them in a long time.  We didn't do a lot, other than just spend some time together.  Nikkie did crocheting, Joe and I played with Derek and Corey helped do some work around the yard for us.

Saturday we do go to our local Nic Fest which is and arts and crafts show sponsored by the museum. 

Listening to a steel drum band.

Then it was time for a picnic...

...and a nap.

I could tell that Derek was older and braver around the dogs this trip.  Here he is grabbing Blazes tail and holding on.  (Can you tell where the dogs had been hanging around the back door)?

And here he is chasing the dogs - he wore them out!  It's been a long time since they've had that kind of exercise.

And before we knew it, the next day came and it was time for them to go home :(!

Red Cloud's War

Joe and I attended another free program presented at Ft. Caspar.  This one was entitled “Red Cloud’s War” and presented by John Monnett.

His presentation was focused on the Native American experience and viewpoints during the Battle of Where A Hundred Soldiers Were Killed (or Hundred in the Hand) near Fort Phil Kearny. The Fetterman Fight, as it is also known, which has fostered myth and speculation because none of the soldiers lived to tell what happened.

It was really quite conincidental that Joe and I had just been to the actual location that this all took place the weekend before.  (See posting dated Tuesday, June 7, 2011 entitled "Our First 2011 Daycation - Approximately 300 miles".

This is Joe and I with the presenter/author.

Diary Diddle - June 28

1965 - We arrived at Grandmother Cattell's house.
---------------------------------------------------------
Note:  This was on our way to Japan.

This was a family reunion at Grandmother Cattell's home before we left for Japan.  That's Susan on the left looking like she's yawning, Nancy is in the middle in front of the screen door, Jimmy is on the front row with the very strange look and I'm sitting on the right with one of my cousins on my lap.  Everyone had boys in their families except Dad who managed to have the only three girls along with his one boy.

Mom's Diary Diddle

July 3, 1961

I had my first lobster tonight - $1.25.  It sure was good.
--------------------------------------------------------
Note:  Lobster $1.25!  That's unbelievable.

July 4, 1961

Jim is working so not much we can day.

July 4, 1963

Today Carol got her first permanent.  Is she ever happy.  I also got my hair done.  1760 yen for both.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Note:  Even at today's prices, the two permanents would only cost $17.60.  I