Butch Cassidy and The Wild Bunch Colorado connections

He was born Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866) in Utah Territory. But he went by the alias Butch Cassidy. His claim to fame was train and bank robbery in the late 19^th century and early 20^th century. He was also the leader of the outlaw gang "The Wild Bunch" which included The Sundance Kid. Butch Cassidy and his gang had many connections with Colorado. One thing is for sure, Butch Cassidy, The Sundance Kid, and The Wild Bunch are most likely some of the best-known icons of the “Wild West.”

Fort Worth 5/Wild Bunch. Front left to right Sundance Kid, Ben Kilpatrick, Butch Cassidy. Standing Will Carver & Kid CurryPhoto byPublic Domain

Butch was the oldest of thirteen children. His family were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Mormon pioneers. When Butch was a teen, he left his strict Mormon life behind to work on a dairy ranch. It was this ranch where he met his namesake, cattle thief Mike Cassidy. Many jobs later he worked for a butcher in Wyoming, where he was given the nickname “butcher.” Put them together and you get Butch Cassidy. At least that is how the story goes.

Telluride

From 1884 to 1889, he was in and out of Telluride, Colorado. Around this same time, in a dispute over the ownership of a horse, Butch was accused of stealing the horse from a local Telluride ranch. He was arrested and taken to a cell in Montrose. In court, he was acquitted of any wrongdoing.

Around 1887 he met Matt Warner. They began horse racing ventures together. Cassidy's first bank robbery took place on June 24, 1889, with Warner and the McCarty brothers (McCarty Gang). The group robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride. The bank site burnt down about a year after the robbery. It is now the Mahr Building, at 129/131 W. Colorado Avenue. You can find a plaque there now commemorating the site.

A posse, led by Sheriff James A. Beattie, pursued the bandits out of town. It is believed that a fourth man, Dan Parker, assisted the outlaws by setting up relay horses used in the getaway. Dan Parker is Butch’s brother. Who also had a criminal career.

Daniel Sinclair “Tom or Kid Ricketts” Parker. Butch's younger brother. It is like looking at an older Butch.Photo byFind-a-grave

In 1890, Butch’s other brother, Arthur Parker was a miner in Telluride. He was killed when he fell from a horse he was racing. Arthur’s horse stumbled and rolled over him in 4^th of July horse race and he passed three days later. He is now buried in the Lone Pine Cemetery in Telluride.

The Women of Browns Park

Brown's Park or Browns Park, originally called Brown's Hole is located in an isolated mountain valley along the Green River in Moffat County, Colorado and Daggett County, Utah. Now known as Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge. If you look at a map, it is about northwest as you can go in Colorado. You will find it just above Dinosaur National Monument. During The Wild Bunch days, it was known as a haven for outlaws.

Brown’s Park was the birthplace of Ann Bassett. Ann and her sister, Josie Bassett, were considered female outlaws and girlfriends to several of Cassidy's Wild Bunch gang. Their father, Herb Bassett had a profitable cattle ranch that spanned Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. He often did business with Butch Cassidy, Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan, and Black Jack Ketchum. He was known to sell them horses and beef for supplies.

Ann Bassett Willis around 1904.Photo byPublic Domain

By the time Ann Bassett was around 15 years old when she was romantically involved with Butch Cassidy. Her sister Josie was involved with Butch best friend Elzy Lay. Wild Bunch gang members Ben Kilpatrick and Will "News" Carver, also dated the sisters.

According to reports of the day, Ann and Josie Bassett were two of only five women ever allowed into the Robbers Roost hideout in Utah. The other three women were the Sundance Kid's girlfriend Etta Place, Elzy Lay girlfriend/wife Maude Davis and Wild Bunch gang member Laura Bullion.

By 1904, most of the outlaws associated with the Bassett girls were either dead or had been captured by lawmen. Ann Bassett never saw Butch again after a seven-year relationship.

Have you ever heard of Brown’s Park or have stories about the area? Let us know in the comments.

Wild Bunch

After Butch did some time in the Wyoming State Prison (1896), he formed the Wild Bunch with his closest friend William Ellsworth "Elzy" Lay, Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan, Ben "The Tall Texan" Kilpatrick, Harry Tracy, Will "News" Carver, Laura Bullion, and George "Flat Nose" Curry." Later Butch recruited Harry Alonzo Longabaugh (Sundance Kid) into The Wild Bunch Gang. Below are profiles of some of the gang members. Kid Curry is of special interest. Because he is buried in Colorado.

Butch Cassidy's mugshot from the Wyoming State Prison in 1894. Compare it with the picture of his brother above. They looked a lot a like.Photo byPublic Domain

Kid Curry: Born Harvey Logan. Came to Colorado in the early 1880s with his brothers on a cattle drive. After a life of train and bank robberies, On June 7, 1904, he participated in robbing the Denver & Rio Grande train near Parachute, Colorado. Two days later, a posse caught up with him. Rather than go to prison, Logan took his own life two days after the robbery at age 37 in Parachute, Colorado. He is now buried in the Potter’s Field in the Pioneer Cemetery in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The exact same cemetery Doc Holliday is buried. Logan was said to be the most feared member of The Wild Bunch gang. In the picture above of The Wild Bunch, he is standing in the back row on the right. Link to grave profile.

Laura Bullion: Laura Bullion was one of the female outlaws of The Wild Bunch. After imprisonment for 3½ years she moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1918, posing as a war widow and using the assumed name Freda Lincoln. She lived into her mid-80’s and died in 1961. The stories she must have told. Her headstone reads, “Thorny Rose.” I guess that says a lot about her. Link to grave profile.

Mugshot of Laura Bullion. One of the female outlaws of The Wild Bunch.Photo byPublic Domain

Ben Kilpatrick: He was arrested for robbery and served about 10 years of his 15-year sentence. Upon his release from prison, he returned to crime and was killed by a hostage during a train robbery in 1912. He is buried in Texas and his headstone reads, “…Train Robbers killed while robbing GH & SA Train No. 9 March 13, 1912…” In the picture above of The Wild Bunch, he is sitting in the front row in the middle. Link to grave profile.

William Carver: His nickname "News" was given to him because he enjoyed seeing his name in newspaper stories of his gang's exploits. He was ambushed and killed by Sheriff E. S. Briant and his deputies in 1901. He was only 32 years old. It was thought he was romantically involved with gang member Laura Bullion. In the picture above of The Wild Bunch, he is standing in the back row on the left. Will Carver's grave marker only has the date he was killed. He is buried in Texas. Link to grave profile.

Elzy Lay: Born William Ellsworth "Elzy" Lay in 1869. When the Wild Bunch broke up, Lay moved on to become a member of "Black Jack" Ketchum's gang. On July 11, 1899, the Ketchum gang unsuccessfully attempted to rob a train in New Mexico. During the botched robbery and escape, Lay was wounded. Surrounded by a posse, he attempted to shoot his way clear, but was captured. Sentenced to life in prison, he was pardoned in 1906 for helping stop a riot. After being released from prison he moved to California. He lived out the remainder of his life as a respectable businessman. He died in Los Angeles, CA in 1934 at the age of 64. He is buried in the famous Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA. Link to grave profile.

George Curry: Also known as George "Flat-Nose" Curry, was a Canadian American robber. Curry was a mentor to Harvey Logan (Kid Curry), who would adopt the surname Curry, and the two robbed banks together before both became members of The Wild Bunch. Curry was killed by a sheriff while rustling in Grand County, Utah.

Harry Tracy: His real name was Harry Severns. Tracy is said to have run with Butch and the Hole in the Wall Gang. But there is no evidence to support this claim. In 1898, Tracy and three accomplices engaged in a gunfight at Brown's Park, Colorado. They were captured but escaped the Routt County, Colorado jail in Hahns Peak Village. They were recaptured in June 1898 and were sent to the Aspen Jail. After a couple months both Tracy and Lant escaped again.

San Francisco Call April 3, 1898 Headline Page 20Photo byPublic Domain

There are many theories on what happen to Butch and Sundance. From they were killed in Boliva to Butch lived his life out in Southern Nevada. We may never know.

What do you think happen to Butch and Sundance? Let us know your theories in the comments.

There are many movies and books about the adventures of these outlaws. You should definitely watch Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). This film was partially filmed along the narrow-gauge railway between Durango and Silverton. It was one of my favorite movies as a kid. There is also the short film The Great Train Robbery. It was made by the Edison Company in 1903. The short film is said to be reenactments of the real train robberies of that time.

Who is your favorite member of the Wild Bunch? Let us know in the comments.

There is a nice marker in Fruita, Colorado dedicated to Butch Cassidy (39° 9.216′ N, 108° 44.191′ W). It was erected in 2017 by the Robert Leroy Parker Chapter No 1889 of the E Clampus Vitus.

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References

• Capitol Reef Country
• Library of Congress
• San Francisco Call
• The Great Train Robbery
• Laura Bullion
• Jesse Linsley
• Tom O’Day
• David Akins
• Butch Cassidy
• Sundance and Etta
• Brown’s Park
• Elzy Lay
• Ann Bassett
• George Curry
• Telluride News