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FORT HALLECK :
Fort Laramie was established in 1834, first as a fur trading post, and afterwards a government fort to protect the immigrants on the Oregon Trail. In the sixties, it became necessary to establish a fort to protect the immigrants on the Overland Trail, so Fort Halleck was established in 1862. Fort Halleck was named for General Halleck, who was Commander in Chief in the U. S. Army at the beginning of the Civil War. It was southwest of Fort Laramie near Elk Mountain; a distance of over a 100 miles, some of the road mountainous.
It is hard to find out in these days just where the old trail went, as all of the old timers have passed away, and the trail was abandoned so long ago that it has been fenced and plowed up in numerous places. It can still be plainly seen where it crossed the Laramie Plains in the vicinity of the Blue Grass well, and Wheatland Reservoir. It can also be seen in Halleck Canyon in places, and it is very plain where it came out of the canyon, east of the old Blue Grass pens.
A name, John C. Hewitt, Oct. 3, 1863, was placed on a large boulder about halfway in Halleck Canyon. It was put on evidently with axle grease taken from a wagon wheel, as the color is black, and must have been put on by some bull whacker or other teamster. Many ox shoes, a large trail chain, an old Civil War saber, and bayonet have been found in the canyon.
The old trail crossed the Laramie River a little over half a mile south of the Wheatland Reservoir buildings, so is under about 20 feet of water when the reservoir is full. It can be seen plainly west of the Laramie River, past Chalk Bluff, and to Miser Creek, and a marker has been placed on Highway 30.
As the Halleck Trail left Fort Laramie, it must have followed up the Laramie River on the east side, and crossed Chugwater Creek somewhere east of the present town of Wheatland, but where it crossed the Wheatland Flats is just a guess. It probably crossed Sibylee Creek a short distance above the old Two Bar Ranch where John Kuhnay lived at one time and followed the Sibylee up on the north side, crossed the Blue Grass near its junction with the Sibylee and, about a mile south, turned directly west to the entrance of Halleck Canyon.
There must have been a vast amount of supplies transported across the Halleck Trail, as Fort Laramie was about the nearest place to get them, and Fort Halleck was established seven years before the U. P. was finished.
(Copy furnished by Agnes McGill Turney Sept. 1, 1971. Written by her father, Tom McGill, soon after 1948.)
Last Indian Fight
The last Indian fight in this part of the country happened in the summer of 1877. Dave MacF« and Dan MacElvain were riding after some cattli had strayed off from the M Bar Ranch. As they riding up a divide, about 2 miles northwest of my r they were surprised and shot at by 14 Indians thai laying in wait for them. The men weren't woundei one of their horses was shot. The horse was stil to go, so they made a run for it and made thei stand on a little hill about 100 yards from when were first shot at. There they shot and woundei Indian and killed his horse. Four Indians too wounded one and headed for their camp, leav Indians to fight.
The Indians killed both of the men's horse! wounded Dave MacFarlane. They shot Dave in tf shoulder and it broke his collar bone and she blade. He said that just as he felt the shot hit hii horse jumped down a drop-off, otherwise he have been shot in the heart. They fought the Ir almost all day, always trying to get closer to I When they got about 4 miles from the M Bar R the Indians quit them and went on to the M Ba stole all of their horses, close to 25 or 30 head
Dave and Dan made their way on foot to Bon for help. At that time, there were 30 or 40 so stationed at Bordeaux to protect the stage line am the ranchers in fighting the Indians. While they going for help, the Indians returned to their cam| all the stolen horses. This was located about 3 west of my home on Richeau.
While the Indians were rounding up the hors old Indian scout, by the name of Ashenfelter, Bordeaux to get the soldiers. He got 10 soldier trailed the horses until he found the Indian camf soldiers were to stay back and not be seen Ashenfelter tried to get around the horses. One soldiers had never seen an Indian so he looked u got shot right between the eyes. The Indians th( away before the horses could be gotten back.
These Indians were from the Cheyenne tribe am reservation was known as the Pine Ridge Reservation. It was located across the line into Dakota from Lusk. Everything north of the Platte at that time was Indian Territory, and any whit that went there traveled at his own risk. — By Duncan Paul Grant
Marble Quarry
Before 1900 the site of the present Marble C located in the foothills 15 miles west of Wheatlan recognized as being a "pile of rocks" different from the many outcroppings of granite in the vicinity.
Prospector Harry S. Yount filed on 140 acres ( lying just south of the Marble Quarry site paten him March 1, 1892. He apparently staked it.
9. County Officials
County Officials-from records in the County Clerk's Office and the Wyoming Historical Blue Book.
Board of County Commissioners:
1913-14: W. H. Ralston, M. F. Coleman, Lee Moore 1915-16: Wm. L. Ayers, U. S. Jones, M. F. Coleman 1917-18: Geo. S. Martin, A. E. Hoffman, Wm. L. Ayers 1919-20: Wm. L. Ayers, U. S. Jones, Geo. S. Martin 1921-22: Wm. L Ayers, Wayne C. Cave, Irving C. Dumm 1923-24: W. H. Ralston, Wayne C. Cave, Christian Hauf 1925-28: A. L. Hoffman, W. H. Ralston, C. Hauf 1929-30: M. A. Thrasher, C. Hauf, D. P. Grant 1931-32: D. P. Grant, M. A. Thrasher, Grover Thompson 1933-34: D. P. Grant, M. A. Thrasher, Claude Adams 1935-36: Claude Adams, W. H. Preuit, Geo. S. Martin 1937-38: Geo. S. Martin, W. H. Preuit, Ben Cossman 1939-42: A. D. Persson, Ben D. Cossman, Geo. S. Martin 1943-46: Burton Hinds, Geo. S. Martin, S. R. Mills 1947-49: H. Chas. Peek, Burton Hinds, Geo. S. Martin 1949-50: Ray Cundall, Burton Hinds, Geo. S. Martin 1950-51: A. E. Hoffman, Geo. S. Martin, Ray Cundall 1952-53: Ralph Allison, Ray Cundall, A. E. Hoffman 1954-55: Robert S. Trenholm, John Ballard, Ralph Allison 1956-59: C. H. (Charles) Lamb, Ralph Allison, Robert S. Trenholm 1960-61: S. R. Mills, C. H. Lamb, Robert S. Trenholm 1962-64: C. H. Lamb, Ray Howard, S. R. Mills, Rob't. S. Trenholm 1965-66: Geo. R. Mitchell, Robert S. Trenholm, Ray Howard, John T. Mylet
1967-70: Geo. R. Mitchell, John T. Mylet, D. W. Hopkins 1971-74: Jim P. Hughes, John T. Mylet, Geo. R. Mitchell 1975-76: Geo. R. Mitchell, Melvin T. Havely, Jim P. Hughes 1977-78: Don Olson, Melvin T. Havely, Jim P. Hughes 1979 — : Earnest Rhoades, Don Olson, Jim P. Hughes.
County Attorney:
1913-14: C. A. Paige 1915-16: C. P. Plummer 1917-18: C. A. Paige 1919-1920: Jesse E. Jacobsen 1921-22: Fred A. Lynch 1923-24: C. A. Paige 1925-32: O. O. Natwick 1933-50: W. B. Jones 1951-58: M. R. Foe 1959-62: Wm R. Jones 1963-66: M. R. Foe 1967-71: D. N. Sherard 1972-74: Frank J. Jones 1975-76: Fred W. Phifer 1979 — : Bryan Sharratt.
County Assessor:
1913-14: C. W. Crouter 1915-16: J. A. Streed 1917-18: C. W. Crouter 1919-22: R. F. Paxton 1923-28: J. A. Streed 1929-45: Orvell Bridgmon 1946 — : Doyle Hutchinson.
Clerk of the Court:
1913-14: Geo. D. McDougall (Ex-off) 1915-16: Bessie Fitz (Ex-off) 1917-20: H. C. Corbridge 1921-26: W. B. Jones 1927-30: Electa D. Paige 1931-58: C. E. Artist 1959 — : Laurence Swallow.
County Clerk:
1913-14: Geo. D. McDougall 1915-18: Bessie Fitz 1919-20: Margeret Dillon 1921-22: Paul Shetler 1923-40: N. F. Hester 1941-62: Lyle B. Clay 1963: Frieda B. Chase 1963 — : D. K. Purcell.
County Constable:
1913-16: Wm. C. Edwards 1917-22: Arthur Rugg
Jordan 1925-36: D. F. Helmboldt 1927-28: T. R Sr •
Merle Jordan 1931-32: C. B. Wilson 1933-34: F. E
Vern Askine, John Westover, A. J. Covmgton Jr
Isabel, Clyde B. Carter, William Morris Hitt "5 Fram George H. Irwin, Harry O. Worthington 194-records of Constable appear incomplete.
County Coroner:
1913-14: D. B. Rigdon 1915-18: Erie H. Corry 1919-& ft . McCallum 1921-22: Harry H. Pepper 1923-28 N J H U 1929-30: H. G. Watson 1931-32: G. B. Richards 1933-3* *m-Payne 1937-42: C. Stewart Dennis 1943-45: Doyle R 1946-76: Ted Schrader 1976 — : Harley PreH.
County Sheriff:
1913-14: Owen Carroll 1915-20: A. S. Roach 1921-22 1923-26: Geo. C. Burckhalter 1927-30: George Wam *-*•-;_ White 1933-38: Joe Wickam 1939-68: W. I. Sutherland 19c» - . Mickelsen.
County Superintendent of Schools:
1913-16: Mary Maloney 1917-18: Winifred Banner 1919-2, Hawes 1925-34: Corrie A. Douglass 1935-70: Florence £ -1971 office discontinued by State Statute.
County Surveyor:
1913-14: Joseph Elliott 1915-22: J. A. Cole 1923-26- J C «J 1927-28: J. A. Cole 1929-34: A. B. Bartlett 1935-36: . 1937-38: A. B. Bartlett 1939-64: J. A. Cole 1965-78 4 Kennedy 1979 — : J. Kenneth Kennedy, Surveyor.
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County Treasurer:
1913-16: Guy Agnew 1917-18: A. G. Schwartz 1919-29- V
Moffat 1921-24: Gale Lewis 1925-28: H. B. Bellis ,' Nelson 1933-35: H. B. Bellis 1937-42: S. Roger Mills • West 1947-50: Ralph Lambert Ryff 1951-58: Lowell Oar, Barbara Wallenburn 1963-66: Delbert D. Wiggam 1967-77 «4 Hopkins 1977 — : Betty Dunham.
Justice of the Peace:
1913-26: F. E. Scheie 1927-28: O. R. Henke, F. E. Seta 1, C. E. Artist 1931-32: Chas. Bohnke 1933-34: P.A. Shope, Ernest Adams, Charles A. DeSchenka. J E. I 1937-38: P. A. Shope, Zenas W. Kinch, Ernest Adams. R L 1939-40: P. A. Shope, Zenas W. Kinch, Ernest Adams. R L. George DeTilla 1940: O. J. Leech 1941: J. E. Rebillet A. Shope, Lester Robertson, R. L. Staats, Leonard Or- - R. L. Thomas 1946: A. S. Illig, O. W. Plaga 1947-48 . J. R. Duncan 1950: F. S. Mitchell 1951: C. M. Morgan, W . 1952: L. J. Belt, E. E. Ragan 1953-64: L. J. Belt 1965-72 Mills 1965—: Fred W. Berry 1971 — : Betty Amick 1972 — Torrey.
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