3 minute read
Following the Outlaw Trail
Original Photo of Harry Longabaugh & Etta Place belonging to Hot Springs Historical Museum
Thermopolis Hot Springs was a known hang out for the Wild Bunch and other outlaws. It was familiar country to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid who found refuge in the remote rural town. They were distancing themselves from law men while in between robbing trains and banks in the latter half of the 1800's.
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In 1897, the Sundance Kid rode into town on a broken-down horse, knowing that he would find a fresh ride waiting for him. He had just escaped from the Deadwood Jail in South Dakota and was on his way to meet up with Flat Nose George and others of the Hole-in-the-Wall gang.
Four years later, seeking to put his criminal past even farther behind, Sundance sent his farewell photograph to a select few friends, one of which resided in Thermopolis.
Harry Longabaugh a.k.a The Sundance Kid and his paramour, Etta Place, were leaving the United States for South America to get a new start, far away from the Pinkerton Detectives who dogged their every step. They had taken the photo in an upscale studio in New York City and Longabaugh had most likely bought the Portrait Card Package. He would have then mailed the photos to his closest friends and family.
Over one hundred years later, this rare original photo of the outlaw couple remained hidden in an album belonging to Thermopolis old timer Minnie V. Brown. After her death in 1940, her estate donated several of her albums to the Hot Springs County Pioneer Association who later turned it over to the museum with the rest of their collection.
In 2013, while searching the museum’s internet database, historian and True West contributor Mark Mszanski came across a digital copy of the photo. He examined it closely and noticed something peculiar. The card stock frame was the same as the original 1901 DeYoung photograph kept at the Library of Congress.
Photo by Taylor Brandon on Unsplash
On the back of the photo, Minnie Brown, the widow of Mike Brown who himself was a suspected friend of the Hole-in-the-Wall gang, had written a note about Sundance. “This gentleman is one of our real gentlemen who knew how to get the money and not cripple or kill… Taken in New York, before he sailed to never return.”
This rare photo of Wyoming’s outlaw history is now kept in a vault, brought out for special occasions. Visitors can learn more of the story of Mike and Minnie Brown and the outlaws who helped make Hot Springs County what it is today by touring the expansive collection at the Hot Springs Historical Museum. How exactly this photo ended up with Minnie Brown has yet to be solved and is only one of countless mysteries that historians seek to resolve at this county museum.
The Pinkertons intercepted one of the photos Longabaugh had sent out and created this wanted poster using a copy from the original portrait Minnie Brown poses with a friend and holds up a coin, another mystery!
“Thermopolis is the epicenter of Western history,” Mszanski said when describing the museum and the many treasures that are in their collection.
Come see for yourself! With 16,000 square feet and a collection that continues to grow, visitors will discover something new with every visit. Prepare for a journey into the Wild West and beyond!
The Hot Springs County Museum located at 700 Broadway Street in Thermopolis is considered to be one of the most spectacular you will visit in Wyoming. Their website is thermopolismuseum.com and you can tour their on-line database from anywhere in the world to get a glimpse of the treasure trove that awaits you in Thermopolis!
The Wyoming Years
Author Bill Betenson grew up hearing family stories about his famous uncle, the outlaw Butch Cassidy. Betenson spent decades asking questions about Butch’s life and exploits. For this book, the author focuses his attention on the time Butch Cassidy spent in Wyoming.
Available from your local bookseller, Amazon, or High Plains Press. PO Box 123, Glendo, WY 82213
www.highplainspress.com 1-800-552-7819
to order or request a free catalog
