Eastern Wyoming Photo Extravaganza

December 27, 2021

Christmas is in the books. Now it is onward toward the New Year, and we all wish and hope for a good one. 

The Narrows at Guernsey State Park

A few years ago, while waiting for a concert to start in Branson, Missouri, we explained we were from east-central Wyoming to a couple from New York. He said, "Oh, not the pretty part." He then explained they had been in Wyoming twice before and loved it. Each time they flew into Jackson, they spent some time and flew out. I wish I would have had the time to explain that Wyoming is quite stunning everywhere. Don't get me wrong, I like Jackson, we spend some time there once in a while, but it is not all of Wyoming.

A Mink along the North Platte River in Guernsey

The following photos – all taken in the last month or so, were all shot within a half-hour of where we live in Guernsey, Wyoming. We think this area of the state is pretty special.

Along the Laramie River

With the New Year come some new thoughts – such as

I was born in 1948, which means if I make it to the 2030s, I will have lived in part of 10 decades – a century's worth of decades.

A few miles south of town

After 42 years in the classroom, I retired in 2012. 2022 makes it ten years. Wow, that went fast.

Along my morning walk

I am currently writing my 17^th book. I hope to have a few more in me.

 

Fort Laramie river bridge

I count the miles on my morning walks and hikes in the park – settled for about 800 this year. Onward to one thousand in 2022.

25 miles west of town - nice view

Happy New Year – 2022

Fort Laramie - The First Commander

I have not been very active on this site the past few months. But, with this blog in its 13^th year, I am not giving up, only taking a break. Today’s post will be number 297, meaning through the blogs 12-year run I have been posting, on average, twice each month. That now will be my goal to post twice each month, maybe I will get on a good run and post three sometime.

From a recent hike in Guernsey, Wyoming State Park

I have been spending most of my writing time, researching and writing a nonfiction book about Fort Laramie. What follows is a selection from one of the tales of Fort Laramie Commanders that found its way into my new book.

Sitting in a dead Cottonwood

Major Winslow F. Sanderson had the honor of being the first to command Fort Laramie. Major Sanderson received the commission of Brevet-Major, August 20, 1847, for meritorious conduct in the Mexican War. Sanderson was part of the mounted rifles who prided in being part cavalry, and part infantry, a specialty group of mobile infantry. 

Major Sanderson reached Fort Laramie on June 16, 1849, the date now recognized as the opening of Fort Laramie as a military fort. Sanderson arrived at the fort after traveling more than 600 miles from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and remained in command until September 4, 1850.[i]

After his time at Fort Laramie, Winslow Sanderson never returned to the west and died under mysterious circumstances three years after leaving Fort Laramie. Officially the cause of his death, in Galveston, Texas was listed as a recurrence of Yellow Fever, but his family and friends suspected he was poisoned.[ii] After Sanderson’s death, his family accused several household servants from the Palmetto House in Galveston where he died, of stealing his money. Nothing came of the murder or theft claims. The claims were based on the fact that although Sanderson was traveling no money was found on him or in his possessions after his death. Meanwhile, one household servant made a small purchase with a $100, Bank of Alabama bill, and two other similar bills were found. No evidence ever connected the bills to Sanderson, and the case quietly went away.[iii] 

 

Drink time from the river

In Other News

On Turning 70 – My newest book and my shortest is out. It is a story of reflection on turning 70 years of age. The book is not only reflective but full of humor and nostalgia. If you are getting, as we used to hear, “up there in years,” give it a try, it’s a quick hour or hour and a half read. This one, like all of my books, is available in soft cover or as an eBook. Here is the link to the $1.99 eBook.

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[i] John Dishon McDermott & Gordon Chappell, Annals of Wyoming, Vol 38, No 1, 5-48

[ii] Daniel, C. (n.d.). Letter from Charles Daniel to Thomas Daniel on the death of Major Sanderson of yellow fever. Retrieved April 15, 2017, from http://hdl.handle.net/1911/37311.

(1853) Rice University

[iii] Ibid

Flat Nose Currie or Big Nose George Parrott

Famous outlaws with strange noses. At least that is what I thought I might call this post.

Maybe, Flat Nose Currie and Big Nose George Parrott were not the same man would be a better title. The fact is, likely only because of their noses these two men are often mixed up, but they shouldn’t be.

George Sutherland Currie often called Flat-Nose, because of his, well, rather flat and wide nose, was a well known and somewhat written about robber in Wyoming and the old west. He mentored cold-blooded killer Harvey Logan, who took the name Kid Currie out of respect for his friend and teacher. The two robbed banks before joining Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch.

Flat Nose

Big Nose George Parrott, who went by several aliases, never rode with, and never met Butch Cassidy. This is a certainty as Parrott was lynched when Butch Cassidy was still Robert LeRoy Parker, a 14-year-old, growing up in Utah.

Big Nose

Parrott claimed he rode with the famous James brothers, another story that has been mostly debunked. Much of the fame Big Nose George has today, is because after his death he was partially skinned with the skin being made into a medical satchel and a pair of shoes for Dr. John Osborn. Osborn who was involved in a gruesome autopsy where he and a Doctor friend searched Parrott’s brain for evidence of a criminal lobe.

Governor Osborn - Dr. Osborn, a few years later, wore the shoes to the governor's inaugural ball when he was elected Wyoming’s third governor and the first Democrat to hold the office. Osborne declined a chance to run for another two-year term and instead served as Wyoming’s representative in the 55^th Congress of the United States.

So why all the above about the two outlaws?  Recently I ran across a  list of members of the Hole in the Wall Gang from a familiar source, one that many modern day, old west writers use in research. This was one of the listings. “George L. ‘Flat Nose’ Curry, also known as George Parrott, was a veteran bank robber. . . . . .”

And if that was not bad enough, not surprisingly, multiple sources on the web have the two mixed up. I Googled a photo of George “Flat Nose” Curry, and the first few that came up were all photos of Big Nose George.

Nope, not the same guy – fake news, er, a, fake history.

The moral of this post, check the facts, even if most modern day news outlets do not. 

Nothing to do with today's post but a photo I took yesterday

Antelope Charlie Belden - Wyoming Photographer

A Look Back in Black & White

Recently I have spent some time reading about early photography in the west, and when I could find it, Wyoming.  One man that comes to the forefront of early Wyoming photographers is Charles Josiah Belden.

Beldon was so well known, that Stetson made a hat called the Belden - Here he is wearing it

Most of his Wyoming work was in and around Meeteetse. Belden was born in San Francisco in 1887. He graduated from MIT in 1910, then toured Russia, with an MIT friend, Eugene Phelps, who would later become his brother in law, taking photos with his first camera.  After coming back to America, Belden stayed on the west coast for a few months but eventually found his way to Wyoming and his good friend’s ranch. By 1912 he was working as a ranch hand and in 1913 married his friend’s sister. She was Francis Phelps, the sister of his good friend Eugene Phelps. When he married Miss Phelps, it was into the family that owned the world famous, quarter of a million acre, Pitchfork Ranch. For the next twenty years, Belden photographed and published photos in widely read national publications. Most of the photos were from in and around the stunning mountain area of the ranch.

Charles Belden raised and sold Pronghorn to zoos all over the country.
For the rest, of his time in Wyoming, he was called Antelope Charlie.
He even sold a few, air transported to Germany by the Hindenburg.

With the economy strained the ranch was turned partially into a dude ranch before 1920, and by the 1930s was in financial trouble. Things turned from bad to worse and the Belden’s divorced in 1940. Soon after, Charles Belden moved to Florida with his new wife. Belden would become a world class photographer and journalist working for National Geography, Life Magazine, and the Saturday Evening Post, and many others, taking on assignments around the world. Mr. Belden lived on until 1966 in St Petersburg, where, suffering from health problems, he took his own life.

Bald Eagle

It is interesting that although he was one of the world’s best known and most hired photographers, his best work was in Wyoming.

Raven

The American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming holds a large collection of photographs and negatives taken by Belden. If you would like to know more Wyoming PBS has a wonderful half hour documentary that can be viewed online here. 

Remains of the old Fort Laramie Hospital

Don’t be continually wishing you had a better camera. Learn to know your machine.

If a picture does not tell a story, it’s not worth taking.

Charles J. Belden

All of today's photos are in black and white in honor of Mr. Belden's work. 

Cloud Shrouded Laramie Peak over Guernsey Lake

What a Sweet Couple

My wife would say, “oh what a sweet couple,” and they are.

What am I talking about?

There is a nice pair of Bald Eagles in the park, eagles commonly mate for life and both of these are mature adults, maybe we will have some babies in March.

Eagles are not as disturbed by human’s this time of year as they are in spring and summer, but never the less, I stayed well back, these photos are from about 300 yards, maybe a bit more.

Upper Left the Female and Lower Right the Male 

 

The Female - they are larger by about 25% than the Male

Male Bald Eagle